Far and Away
by The Loneliest Bird
Summary: A young woman leaves Ireland with her landlord's daughter. Together they come to America, dream of owning land in the big give-away in Oklahoma, 1983. There, they struggle through hardships together and find out that they can't be separated. Will they be able to understand each other's feelings or will fate do its part? An adaptation of the movie Far and Away(1992).
1. Chapter 1

**AN**: Hello! This is an adaptation of the movie Far and Away (1992). After watching the film I find it fascinating that I need to dump my emotion into words, and what's better than letting my favorite OTP of all time to play the main characters of this story? Yeah, I did it! This is my first attempt to write fiction and English is not even my native language. So be gentle with me, key'? Anyway, read and don't forget to review. I feed on reviews, just so you know. Enjoy!

P/s: I don't have a Beta Reader so there may be some spelling and stuffs that are incorrect. That I apologize.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own MGLN and the movie Far and Away.

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><p><strong>Far and Away <strong>

**Chapter 1**

Precia Testarossa was sitting in a small pub, enjoying her glass of brandy when she heard shouts and yells over the pathway that led to the village. Soon, men and women from shops and houses on two sides of the road rushed out and hurried towards the same direction.

"Lads! That bloody landlord, Buntin's on his way in. All hell's breakin' loose!" Billy, an old man, clad in dirty clothes with bushy red hair and a bearded face, exclaimed.

"I hope they kill him." Precia yelled over her shoulders as she rushed out with other people.

There he was, the Buntin bastard and his fancy wagon, surrounded by the town people. He was struggling, waving his cane in hope of stopping those rocks and rotten tomatoes throwing at him. Had he known something like this would happen, he would have brought some men with him instead of an old servant. He had just returned from one of his lands to collect the money those farmers owed him. The task was easy but the way back was such a ruckus.

"Landlord, you sinner! Between your lungs there's neither heart nor spirit but the lump of your own swallowed money bag!" Precia bellowed.

To say she resents these landlords is an understatement. She and her children, and perhaps the town's people, hold a deep hatred towards them. The landlords of Uminari were devils. Outside, they were the elegant ladies and gentlemen, but inside, they were a pack of greedy wolves who had claimed most of the lands and leased the poor farmers small part of their properties with exorbitant rents. They exploited the miserable people generations to generations. Some old families had lived and watched the land, their land, lost to the hands of the devils and they became the slaves, the tools for those bastards to enrich. One of those families was the Testarossa clan. Precia's husband, Joseph Testarossa, died before his twins were born out of a terrible disease that had spread all over the village almost 20 years ago. Left by only herself, the single mother did her best to raise two baby girls. It was hard and there were times she thought she would consider giving up.

"He'll never get over that one, Precia my dear." Danty laughed. Danty Duff was Joseph Testarossa's best friend. He did help Precia a little in raising the twins after her husband's decease. To him, Precia was always someone so admiring, so dazzling. She was strong and brave and wise that could put any men to shame. To him, she had a mind of a man and a heart of a woman. Such wonder!

"You're a blight on this country that never belonged to you!" A young man shouted, he hunched back to collect a rotten cabbage and in a sweep motion, swung his right arm with great force towards the wagon. The rotten and smelly thing hit its target right on the head. Buntin's hat fell off of his bald head and pieces of cabbage stuck onto his nice-trim mustached face. And that was the last straw.

Angrily pulling out a piston, Buntin fired into the sky in hope of sparring him some little space. Granted, the crowd immediately halted their action. The horses, upon hearing the gunfire, whinnied and bolted ahead. It happened so fast. They heard the distinct sounds of bricks crumbling and a small, quiet whimper. All eyes were too busy focusing on the wagon that no one saw what really happened except Danty. He witnessed everything. In the haste escape, the wagon accidentally hit one of the many decayed houses and caused the stones to fall, unfortunately, on Precia's head.

"Precia! Are you hurt, Precia?" Danty said worriedly. The old man paled when he saw blood dripping from Precia's forehead.

"Danty, take me home to my daughters." Precia managed to talk. She was breathing fast and her head felt like a raging storm. She needs to get home. Fast.

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><p>Miles away from the village, far away north, there was a gray field, decorated with a scattering of grass and rocks. A long stone hedgerow stretched along the coastline, rounded the corner to a humble stone house, situated at the back of the land, overlooking the sea.<p>

Fate was carrying two bags of compost on her back and two more were loaded on a donkey's. She hunched down to dumped the ones on her back onto the freshly furrowed soil before lifting back up to wipe a bead of sweat rolling down her left temple. Long golden hair, tied back loosely at the base with a simple black ribbon, shined brightly in the morning light. Her hair, which her mother used to say, rivaled the sun.

Fate leaned back against her donkey. The blonde looked out into the sea. She dragged a tanned arm across her face to prevent some sunlight into her eyes and sighed. How many times had she woken up to be greeted by such clear blue sky? How many times had she stared longingly to the land far, far away from here, far away from her grasp? How many times had she dreamed of owning her own land, planting her own wheat and harvesting her own crop someday? Fate sighed again, burgundy eyes shimmering with hope.

After a few minutes of letting her eyes wander away, she decided to get back to work. Just when she was about to unload the two bags on her donkey's back, the damn animal stepped backward, out of her reach. Fate moved forward and pulled at the rein, forcing the donkey to comply with her order. Backfire, the little donkey rushed forward and shoved its master back. The blonde fell flat on the ground. She cursed out loud as she grasped some soil and threw it at the direction of the traitorous donkey.

"Alicia!" A red-headed young man called out nearby. He had watched Fate worked for a while and when the blonde planted her face on the ground by a stupid donkey, there he had it.

"What?" Alicia, a young fine woman who looked exactly like Fate: golden hair, wined-red eyes except for her skin was paler and she was a little shorter than her twin, answered as she stepped out of the house.

"Will you look at your little sister? She can't keep hold of her ass." The man snorted.

Ronald Donovan was Alicia and Fate's cousin. He was Joseph's nephew and lived not far away from the Testarossas. He was a drunkard, a good-for-nothing brat. All he did was drinking and spending money on whores. Where he got the money for, no one in town knew except Alicia. She and Ronald had been hanging out with the spoiled kids in town since she was 15. She was reported spending the night at a brothel outside of town one night and there, she got involved in some fight for the "girls". Their mother was furious at this. She was so mad she had almost disowned her birth child however, thanks to Fate's soft words and constant pleadings, she had calmed her nerves.

Everyone in this humble town knew about Alicia's preference. She would date girls, talk and walk like a man. Despite the fact that she was a woman, village maidens would line up at her feet just to get a glimpse of the "Testarossa dazzling smile". There was something about Alicia that made women weak in the knees, not that Fate cared. The only thing the younger blonde cared about was her mother and working the land. Precia was proud, very proud of her hard-working, headstrong baby daughter. Even though they were poor and miserable, they had each other and to Fate, that was enough.

"Sweetheart of a child, slaving away." Alicia approached with a smirk. "ls it not enough, Fate, you plowed all that muck down there?"

"My ambition's a little grander than yours." The taller blonde spat back. "A couple of lazy cows."

"Oh, ambition, is it?" Alicia mocked. "To break your back on land that isn't your own? It belongs to the landlord Takamachi."

True enough, the Takamchi family is the richest and the most powerful in this land. Shiro Takamachi, the landlord of Fate's family, he leased a piece of his lands to Fate's father and by every year, sent men to collect the rent. However the tax was too high that Joseph Testarossa could not afford to pay. He died and left the debt to Precia and their children. And now that Fate was older, she intended to pay that debt and if possible, buy out the land.

"Hold your face up, lassie." Ronald said in his drunken voice. He reached out a hand and slightly slapped at Fate's face.

Burgundy orbs turned blood-red as Fate looked back at him as if she was trying her best to suppress the urge to murder.

"Now, come on. Give us something we can aim at." Alicia played along.

Fate knew exactly what they meant though she had no wish to satisfy their demand. After all, she had a field to farm and a debt to pay.

"Just shag off, the pair of you. There's a goat over there," Fate flipped her head, indicated where she was referring to. "Go improve your love life."

"Now, come on, Fate honey." Alicia stopped Fate by getting in the younger blonde's face, devilish smirk still in place. "Just a nosebleed's all we're asking."

Knowing there was no way she could escape these fools' request, Fate lowered her voice to just a whisper but made sure the others could hear her well. "I've no wish to fight you." And as fast as a lightning, she bolted her fist up under Ronald's chin, sending his face backward.

"Try pummeling me, you arrogant son of a bitch!" Alicia screamed in excitement. Ignoring her partner who was lying on the ground, groaning, face covered in blood, she charged forward, fists in the air aiming at Fate. The older twin intended to do a mock punch on her sister's left cheek but as she threw her fist up, the younger blonde had made a quick motion and in an instant, disappeared from Alicia's vision. As fascinating as one could see, Fate hunched down to dodge her sister heavy punch, swiftly turned her body to 90 degree and as the same time struck her other enemy, who had just recovered from the earlier punch and were coming at full speed to reinforce his comrade, in the belly.

Being struck twice in such short time, the bastard clutched at his stomach, gasping loudly for air. Fate was distracted by the noise and Alicia took this as a chance to strike her from behind. She jumped Fate and using all of her strength, she threw her sister by her shoulders away for a good few feet. The fight continued as the three young adults wrestling and screaming and laughing like crazy.

Just when Fate was about to perform her final blow, someone called out from afar.

"Lass, your mother's been damaged!" It was Danty Duff, he had come back with an injured Precia. "You're here, dear."

The three immediately halted whatever they were doing. Fate rushed to the carriage in which Precia was lying unconscious. "Ma!" Her face failed and she could feel her blood running cold as she moved close to inspect her mother. She was as pale as a ghost, her lips were dry and she was mumbling to herself as if she was going through terrible a nightmare.

After some much-needed time to carry Precia into the house, there were only three people left, the twins and Danty Duff. Ronald had freaked out and ran home, not that Fate wanted him there, especially in this situation. They placed their mother in the long wooden dinning table that had faded by the cruel hand of time. Fate washed a towel and put it on her mother's forehead while Alicia was pretending to listen to old Danty's rambling. He flashed back to the time when they were younger, he, Precia and Joseph, together with a few men they raided a landlord's mansion and ended up being captured and beaten til near dead. That was almost 30 years ago, when Fate and Alicia still weren't born.

"And l killed off a fair share myself, to tell the God's truth-"

"Quiet, Danty Duff, for once."

Poor man didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as Fate scolded him. Her mother didn't look at all well and she couldn't rest if someone kept talking non-stop like such. Her mother was old and she knew it. Precia was both physically and mentally strong but as years went by, even the strongest horse who survived the harsh winters would eventually surrender to its hoary age. Never in her life had Fate felt so afraid. She tried her best to push away those negative thoughts but deep down inside, she knew she would have to acknowledge the truth, soon.

"How are you feeling, ma?" The blonde wiped some beads of sweat away from her mother's temples, she reached out and grasped her hand. It was as cold as ice.

"My soul is departing from me, Fate." Precia breathed.

"Don't you talk that way." Fate scolded. This was not the time to say such thing. No, not now, she wasn't ready.

"I'll talk any way I please. I'm dying, I tell you!" The violet-hair woman grunted, she intended to make it easier but her stubborn Blondie would not have it.

"Well, you can't die. We need you here, ma." Burgundy searched dark violet desperately, shimmering in the dimly lit room.

"Need me? What for?" Precia laughed.

Certainly they don't need her anymore. They had grown into fine young women, they can take care of themselves well. What she was regretting right this moment is that she'd never been a good mother to her children. They grew up in poverty, there were days when there was nothing to eat, nothing to keep them warm.

Precia smiled to herself as she recalled the time when her twins were 10, it was a freezing day in mid December and she was sick. Mother and daughters hadn't eaten anything in 2 days except for gruel. And her Fate, she still remembered, so little and so thin had gone out til dusk and brought home a haunch of venison. The little blonde girl avoided her mother's eyes, saying she had picked it on her way down town. The still-sick mother knew all too well her little thing was lying by looking at the slightly freaked-out face and fidgety posture but she was too tired to press on at the moment and they really needed that haunch to eat. So she decided she would have a conversation with her daughter later. After the good meal, Precia had never felt so much better. Guess when you're sick, all you need is a piece of meat, thought the violet-hair woman.

That night, with soft words and much-needed encouragement, Fate finally told her mother everything. She stole the meat from a butcher's in town when he was busy bargaining with a customer. Precia was really upset but when she saw those teary red eyes, she couldn't bring herself to punish the girl. They were starving and she did the only thing all children her age would do. Instead, she pulled the little girl into her arms and murmured in her daughter's ears that even though they're poor, they never steal, and that stealing is a sin and God will punish ones who commit the crime. Fate cried herself to sleep that night in her mother's strong embrace, promising herself and her mother that she would never do it again.

"Her beautiful eyes were a terrible curse…" Precia breathed out a heavy sigh and she stopped breathing.

All occupants in the room held their breath, the air suddenly went dry and cold.

"God bless your soul, poor Precia Testarossa." Danty cried. He took off his hat, face downcast.

"We'd be as well to sell off a thing or two now that she's gone." Alicia said quietly after a while, not precisely to anyone but rather to herself.

"Is that any way to keen over the death of our mother?" Fate asked incredulously. Her eyes widened as she stared at her twin sister. How can she possibly say something like that in this kind of moment, thought the younger blonde.

"Misery's a personal matter, Fate." Alicia scoffed, claret eyes stared right into burgundy ones. "She's left us with a huge debt of rent on the land."

"We'll begin to settle our debt when we harvest the land." Fate turned away, she couldn't bring herself to continue to look into those cold red eyes. She crossed the room to get something to cover her mother's still body when she heard a snort.

"Grow the potatoes and pick them yourself, Fate, you ambitious baby girl!"

"You son of a-" The taller blonde gritted her teeth and was about to charge at Alicia when a hand shot out and grabbed at her wrist.

"Fate!" Precia exclaimed.

Yes, it was her mother and she was talking.

"Jesus and the saints preserve us! We thought you died, Ma." Fate let out a yelp. Just then her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

"I did, kiddo. I passed away." Precia smiled, she never felt so awake, so alive.

"But you're talking to us, Ma. And your eyes- they're looking about." The younger twin cautiously stepped closer but still kept some distance away from the lying woman. She still couldn't believe in her eyes, her mother, who was dead a moment ago, now talking as if she'd never been hit.

"I was as dead as a stone, I tell you." She said dreamily as if she was reminiscing about her earlier adventure. "Now shut your mouth before l die again. Come here!"

Reluctantly, the blonde bent down and were grabbed by the shoulders.

"You're an especially odd girl." Precia stroked her daughter's hair affectionately, Fate reminded her so much of her late husband.

"You came back from the dead to tell me that I'm odd?" Fate whispered. She stared blankly at her mother's face.

"You have all kinds of oddities… clattering around in your brain. So had your father when he was as young as you." Violet eyes glittered with love, oh, how she misses Joseph. "But dreams, my girl, in this poor corner of the world...end up in a glass of ale." She sighed, her voice trailed with a slight disappointment.

"No. Not my dreams, Ma. I'll work my own land someday." Fate said determinedly, red irises showed no hesitancy.

"Without land, a man is nothing. That's it. Yeah. Land is a man's very own soul." Precia looked Fate in the eyes, she smiled and continued to stroke the blonde's face. If her Fate says she can do it then she can do it. She had no doubt, she never had doubt on her young blonde. She knew from the day she first hold a crying baby, she knew her child would make her proud. "A miracle- that's what you're looking for. And by God, if you manage it...your old ma and da will be smiling down on you..." she turned away, looking remotely. "…from heaven above."

"Her beautiful eyes

Were a terrible-"

The words died away as she drew her last breath. She could never complete the song, the one her husband used to sing when he was still alive.

"God rest your soul, Ma." Fate said quietly. She would not cry for she would not let her mother from above worry over her. She would make her smile from heaven. That she promised herself.

"God bless your soul, Precia." Danty let out a sob. The old man took off his hat again and for the last time that day.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Nanoha will show up in the next chapter, and there will be some NanoFate moment. Rating may change as the story progresses. See ya next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Hi everyone! Here it is, chapter 2. Read and review.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing here.

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><p><strong>Far and Away<strong>

**Chapter 2**

Everything happened in a blur to Fate. She had a very vague idea about the events of yesterday. She recalled that her mother had had a proper burial and their house was burnt down by the landlord's dogs for not paying the rental they owed. What happened next was in autopilot mode and now the blonde found herself in a pub far away from her village. She didn't know why she was here. She was sure that she got some business to take care of, something's really important and somehow it related to revenge and anger. She remembered Alicia's laughing face, the town's people making fun of her and yet she could not decipher the reason. Maybe she should stop drinking. The dark yellowish liquid was killing her mind.

Dark red eyes wandered around the room and found all its occupants laid eyes on her. Some men stole a glance at her and then to the thing on her right. Fate frowned and looked to her side, her draw dropped when she recognized "the thing" that had drawn everyone's attention. It was a training rifle, a very old and rusty one. It was so old that the upper part looked as if it was about to fall out every second.

Something clicked in Fate mind. Now she remembered, now she knew why she was so far away from home. She was going to assassinate her landlord, Shiro Takamachi. She wanted justice for what he'd done to her family, to her father and her house. How dare they burn their house, thought the blonde. How dare they burn away all those memories, memories of the happy time when her mother was still alive. Fate gritted her teeth, once she found the bastard, she would have him begging for life.

"God bless you, everyone." A jet-black hair man, clad in a fancy suit with a bright red jacket over a checked gray vest, accentuated by an amber bow, stepped inside. "Whiskey for everyone!" He took off his black silken top hat and hung it in the wall nearby.

Men cheered as they were offered a free round of drinks, the mood had been lightened a little. Not Fate. The blonde didn't think she could drink anymore, not when she was going to kill someone. She needed her mind to stay clear though she appreciated the man's generosity.

"How are you, sir, tonight?" a middle-age man asked.

"Oppressed. That's the word for me." The gentleman let out an exasperating sigh. "I live in a house that's stuffy and dull...and worse, I've a wife who forbids me to drink."

"God help you." Someone patted him on the back to show his sympathy.

If this was really the man's situation, Fate felt sorry for him. Apparently, he got the money but couldn't enjoy it. What a wife he has, the blonde pondered.

"Your good health, sir."

"Good health, Mr. Takamachi."

Fate almost dropped the glass. Surely, her ears didn't trick her in hearing things. This was Shiro Takamachi, her landlord. The kind and generous man before her was her enemy, the one she intended to punish. The tall, tanned blonde wasn't sure why suddenly Shiro Takamachi turned his attention to her. There might be two reasons. One, she was a woman who carried a rifle with her to such a place and two, because she was staring intensely at him.

"Liven up, girl." Mr. Takamachi exclaimed. "You're too young to be brooding in your ale." His face softened. To tell the truth, he was surprised to see such a young girl, probably his daughter's age, would wander around with a gun. Not that he had anything against women using guns but it was still very dangerous in this time of the day for a fine little thing like her to be in men's places.

"What places you in this small chapter of the world?"

"…"

Not receiving any responds, the man urged on. "Must be one of two things: enterprise or love." He laughed out loud.

"It isn't love. Rest assured of that." Fate growled. Did the man not know that she was about to shoot him, well later, but the result would be the same: he would be dead. The blonde tried to calm her nerves, she would not ruin her plan right now just because a soon-to-be dead man was messing with her.

"Then you're an ambitious girl!" the landlord exclaimed, his eyes widened in amusement.

"Like myself, a man of business. But I warn you…it's brought me nothing but misery. I'm lost in a fog of commerce and compromise." He sighed regretfully. There were wrinkles on his forehead when looked up close, showing the tiredness of a man who had been through many unhappy memories. "I'd trade it all away for minutes of freedom."

"Freedom is a rare thing in these parts." Fate murmured to herself. She didn't know that there was such thing called "freedom".

"It is. It is, indeed."

Fate didn't remember when she left the pub. She had stalked the landlord Takamachi til the moon was high above her head and the man didn't even know he was followed for he was too drunk to distinguish whether it was a man or a tree. In his current drunken state, Shiro considered himself lucky for still remembering his way home. They had arrived at the front gate of the Takamachi mansion.

"Oh, no. Here we are- home. I recognize these hedges by their dullness." The landlord mumbled to his horse. He continued singing as he walked through the gate to his home, completely unaware of the shadow hiding behind a stone statue.

Fate was ready, she brought the rifle at eye level and aimed at the walking man. Her finger was at the trigger, all she needed was to pull the thing but the blonde couldn't bring herself to do it. She found herself shaking terribly as her target was walking leisurely further and further away. Hold herself up, she refocused on her target but as she was about to push the trigger, her goddamn donkey decided that he would not wait for his master anymore. Abruptly, he turned his head away, accidentally dragging his blonde master by the hand.

The red-eye assassin cursed under her breath at how stupid she was. Why did she have to tie her hand to the reins? And now she was dragged like a doll on the ground a good few feet away. She untangled her hand from the reins and hurried back to the spot behind the statue to find that the man was no longer in her vision.

"This is a difficult murder." Fate said breathlessly. She decided to sneak inside the mansion and wait for her chance. As she came out of one of the giant bushes that were supposed to be a hedge, the view before her was breath-taking. A white castle-liked, three-story mansion lied imposingly ahead. A gravel path, rounded an impossibly big pond, to finally stopped at the main entrance. Never in her life had Fate seen something as beautiful and majestic as the villa before her.

That night, while lying in one of the many stalls in the barn, for the first time in her life, Fate felt envy.

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><p>She awakened to the sounds of horse heaving and someone yelling. Looking out of the small window, she could make out two figures and by the voices she assumed they were both women.<p>

"Nanoha, I saw you galloping in the fields." The older woman called out. "Dignity, Nanoha, dignity. A lady must always be civilized, even when she rides."

"No one saw me riding, Mother." The other said.

Fate ears perked up. It was a rich melodious voice, though slightly annoyed, which reminded her of the Christmas carol she'd once heard since she was a small child.

"I saw you!" The mother screeched.

Looking at the woman face, although from a distance, the blonde could clearly see she was furious.

"Yes, Mother." The girl replied haft-heartedly.

Her back was facing the blonde so she couldn't make out the girl's features. Fate found herself admiring the other girl's figure. She had an athletic body under that long green dress, with all the right curves. Her gloved hands were small and fragile and Fate didn't think she could keep hold of the rein. She wasn't very tall to be precise, probably haft a head shorter than her, thought the blonde. Then again, Fate was thought to be the tallest woman in town, she was even taller than some men. There were times when she felt ashamed about her unusual height. Her mother had scolded her for this. Oh, how she misses her!

Sounds of foot steps brought Fate out of her reverie. She abruptly knelt down, slowly backed away from the window. Someone was at the gate, it was the girl named Nanoha.

''A lady must always be civilized.'' She mimicked her mother's voice. "She never leaves us alone, does she?" Nanoha asked her horse as she led the animal to its stall. "No. She doesn't."

Fate smiled at the girl's display of annoyance. Something about the landlord's daughter put her at peace and at the same time, intrigued her.

The blonde farmer cautiously rose to her feet. She sneaked a look at the other occupant of the room through the gaps on the stall's door and her breath was caught. Before her was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Rich, rich auburn hair cascaded over small shoulders as she sat down on a wooden box, head leaning back against a stall. Pale skin, soft to the touch, was glowing in the early morning light. Light blush accentuated her high-defined cheek bones as she was fanning herself repeatedly. Luscious pink lips was doing funny thing to Fate's stomach as the girl slightly opened her mouth. What captured Fate's soul was those brilliant azure orbs, staring at the ceiling, deep in thoughts. The blonde wondered if the young woman before her was what people referred to as an angel for she believed she was seeing one right now.

Fate Testarossa had never thought that animals would hate her, especially birds, because a pigeon above her head had just sent an alarm by flying off away. The auburn hair beauty did not miss that. She stood up abruptly and looked about. The red-eyes girl just managed to duck down in barely seconds before sharp blue eyes swept over her spot.

"Is some body there?"

Nanoha picked up a horseshoe at her feet and threw it over the stall in which she'd heard a sound earlier. The thing came flying and hit the ceiling to land right at Fate's left foot. Still, the blonde didn't move.

After a while, Fate heard foot steps walked out of the barn and breathed out a sigh of relief. She looked down at her foot and picked up the horseshoe. Is this some kind of luck, the blonde pondered.

She was inspecting the steel ring when a rake came out of no where, stabbing at the stall's door, barely missed her's head. Burgundy eyes widened in horror as she clumsily stood up and ran out of the stall. But before she could run any further, a rake was pointed at her.

"Stay right where you are." Nanoha warned. "Don't flutter an eyelid or I'll stab you. I'll stab you through."

Sapphire looked defiantly at burgundy. It was an exact ten-minute starring contest between the assassin and the landlord's daughter. Fate didn't know what to do at the moment. The auburn hair girl looked so much more gorgeous up close and she had this strange urge to run her hand through those silky locks of brown.

Finally, Nanoha was the one who ended the starring contest.

"Father!" The landlord's daughter frightened her stranger as she suddenly screamed.

Fate was startled and she did the stupid next move. The blonde ran forward and received a stab in her right thigh as the auburn beauty accidentally let loose of her rake.

"…!"

"Jesus." Fate groaned aloud. She looked at Nanoha in disbelieve. She'd never thought such a fragile girl would have stabbed her, and she stabbed her hard.

"Father, help!" Nanoha didn't forget to pull the rake out of Fate's thigh before running and screaming for her farther. "Father! I've been all but raped and slaughtered!"

"What is it? What's the fuss about?" Shiro Takamachi and his wife rushed out, their faces were that of fright and confusion.

"In the stables!"

"Mr. Shiro Takamachi."

"Y-yes?"

"I'm Fate Testarossa… of the family Testarossa that you pushed off our land." Fate limped painfully off the stables, without forgetting to carry the rusty rifle with her.

"What in the name of God are you talking about?"

"Prepare to pay for your crimes." Burgundy eyes flickered with anger as the golden blonde lifted up the rifle to her eye level and aimed at the landlord.

They heard an explosion, preceded by a gunfire. Shiro Takamachi opened his eyes to see he was still alive and found a young blonde lying unconscious on the ground a few feet away.

Apparently, the rusty gun had backfired at Fate, literally. Her face was hit by the gun's barrel and now she swore she was seeing stars.

"Quickly, find Mr. Scrya and bring him here. Go!"

In her hazy state of mind, she could make out someone was yelling and sounds of foot steps invaded her ears. The last image she saw was that of a blurry auburn-haired woman and then her vision turned dark.

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><p><strong>AN<strong>: next chapter will be out slower than the previous ones. I'm sorry but I gotta work on my assignments in college or I'll be failing again. 'Til next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Hey guys, I'm back! Sorry for the late update, it's been a week, eh? Anyway, here's chapter 3. Read and don't forget to review.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Nanoha stared at the unconscious half-naked lying blonde whose face was covered in smuts from the earlier explosion. They had moved the stranger to a spare room in the house and now her mother was tending to her wound, which was given by the auburn-hair beauty.

"Look how black her fingers are, Mother."

Her mother and the maids had removed the blonde's black cotton trousers and the braces but left her shirt on. Her clothes were dirty and Nanoha wondered when was the last time the blonde took a bath. Despite the fact that the blonde was wearing men clothes, she could see there was a suggestive swell of breasts under that sweat-dampened shirt. The auburn-hair girl blushed when she realized she was gazing intensely at the other girl's chest. She mentally thanked her mother for covering the blonde's lower half with a thin blanket.

"Never mind her fingers. She's a low-born blatherskite of filth."

"If she's so worthless, then why are you bothering to dress her wounds?"

"Our duty is to restore her to full health," Her mother replied. She put on a brown leather gloves with a frown on her face. "So she can hear her own neck crack when she dangles from the hangman's noose." As she was about to pull the blanket down the blonde's thighs so she could take a closer look at the injury, the woman paused as if she remembered something.

"Turn away, Nanoha, and protect the innocence of your eyes."

Nanoha reluctantly turned around. She couldn't understand why her mother was being so fretful. They were all women, and what kind of that "innocence" she was talking about? The girl humphed and walked to the dresser nearby.

"Of all the days to intrude upon our peaceful life." Momoko Takamachi let out an exasperating breath as she pulled down the blanket. She had done this before, frequently, dressing Shiro's wounds every time he came back from a hunting session. She could not comprehend why he enjoyed said activity so much. To her, it was dangerous and time-wasting.

"The ladies are coming by this afternoon for tea." Momoko said, breaking the silence.

"I'm feeling very sick all of a sudden." Nanoha sighed. She dreaded every minute she had to endure in the tea room whenever the "ladies" came over. Oh, how she hated entertaining those old garrulous women whose subjects they talked about were of proper manners and the dresses and many kinds of stupid things. She didn't understand how her mother could stand those women. Then again, her mother could be counted as one of those so-called "ladies". In her mind, a woman should be allowed to do so much more. For instance, a woman should learn how to shoot instead of tea manners. She has to know how to protect herself from who knows what's going on out there. And a woman could ride a horse whenever she wants, wherever she likes without her mother saying it's inappropriate.

"Mind yourself, Nanoha. Those ladies are models of manners and behavior." The older woman chided. "There."

Nanoha turned around to see her mother had draped a piece of cloth over the private area of the unconscious blonde. Now she can see how messy the wound was. There was three round tiny holes made by the rake and blood was dripping down on two sides of her thigh. She almost felt sorry for the blonde if her eyes hadn't wandered too high up. Nanoha could make out under that unintentionally thin cloth there was a subtle curve to the hips and a dark triangle of blond hair at the base of her toned abdomen. Her eyes roamed down two firm muscular thighs, slightly glistened with a mixture of sweat and blood. The auburn-hair girl found herself blushing for the second time that day. She didn't know why the blonde had such great effect on her. She told herself that it was because she'd never seen a woman dressed in men clothing and that she was just curious. She tried to deny the truth that the fascinating stranger had stirred something deep down inside.

The sound of broken glass downstairs broke her trance of thinking. There was some movement and someone was shouting.

"Nothing happened. A poor, misguided robin has broken a windowpane. I was merely dusting the liquor cabinet." Nanoha heard her farther said. She smiled inwardly at how silly he was, made up such lame excuse for his drinking affair.

"What a manufactured lie." Her mother sighed. She dropped a fresh white strip of bandage she was holding on the bedside table and hurried outside, heading downstairs to where the commotion was.

Nanoha waited for her mother's voice to disappear completely out of her earshot and slowly, she moved closer to the bed. She stopped for a moment then knelt at the bedside. There, she watched the sleeping blonde. Even though caked in dirt, the blonde's face was beautiful, Nanoha noted. Sculpted eyebrows slightly furrowed, long eyelashes fluttered as sweat rolled down her temples. Dry pink lips opened slightly and she seemed to mumble something incoherent. A sweat made its way to the blonde beauty's dimpled chin and slowly ran down her tanned neck.

Nanoha absent-mindedly licked her lip. She felt her face grew hot all of a sudden and the air, as well, turned humid. Sapphire eyes wandered down ample chest to a flat toned stomach and stopped again at the area where a thin cloth was draped over. Her traitorous hand reached for the hem of the cloth. She had this strange urge to see what was underneath. She needed to see.

Just when she was about to lift it up, crimson eyes flutter opened. Nanoha immediately let go of the cloth, she looked at the blonde in panic.

"You're having a dream. This isn't really happening." She whispered urgently and tried to stand up.

With lightning speed, the blonde grabbed the young woman, pulling her close so that their faces were inches apart. Nanoha was speechless for one her mouth was covered by a rough hand and two she was too stunned by the fact that she could feel the other girl's hot breath all over her face.

"I want my land." She muttered before falling back to sleep.

Nanoha stared at the girl for a moment before bolting right up as her mother made her way back to the room.

"What became of the man I married? Some other man's replaced him and goes about with his name." Momoko cried. She looked at her daughter to receive a shrug as the girl walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Nanoha Takamachi was beyond bored. She was now sitting in the tea room with her mother's "ladies".<p>

"A murderous insurgent under your own roof!"

"How horrible!"

"She's as ugly as sin," Momoko said as she offered the women tea. "And the most vicious creature I've ever set eyes upon."

Nanoha rolled her eyes at her mother exaggerated display. Opposed to her mother thoughts, she found the blonde was the most intriguing thing she had ever encountered. She would go upstairs right now to watch the girl again if these old women wouldn't swarm around her like flies.

"Did you get a look at her, Nanoha?"

"A peek." The auburn-hair girl smiled bashfully. She knew all too well that she did not just have "a peek" at the sleeping beauty upstairs.

"Nanoha, what is your collar doing?" Momoko interrupted.

"It's choking me." Nanoha reached for her unbuttoned collar and whispered. Let her be damned but the stupid high-designed collar was tightening around her throat and she couldn't breathe.

"Well, do it up. Better to choke than to be vulgar." The older woman fixed the girl with a steady gaze as she was doing up her daughter's button. Nanoha was cursing inwardly at nothing in particular when she heard someone at the main door.

"I hear a sound." A woman uttered.

"Let us hope it's Yunno Srcya." Momoko commented. She moved past her daughter to stand behind the other women.

"We've come for your prisoner, Mr. Takamachi." Nanoha knew who that voice belonged to. She shrank back with a great dread in her heart. Yunno Scrya, of all people! He would never leave her be. She knew he had laid eyes on her, and of course, her father's estate, too and he would never back down if he didn't get what he had aimed for.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Takamachi. Good afternoon, ladies." Yunno smiled sweetly as he stopped at the threshold of the tea room to pass his hat to a servant and stepped inside. He was tall and had long thin blond hair, a dull color, tied back at the base of his neck. Green round glasses made he look wiser and even more mature compare to his age. He was wearing a light green suit with a yellow silk tie and Nanoha wondered how can green be that boring whenever the man appeared in one.

"Speak of the sun and we see its rays." Momoko smiled back, eyes shimmering in delight.

"Oh, my goodness, we were so frightened." The women began their non-stop rambling about how scared they were and that they needed more protection. Sapphire eyes darted to the ceiling in annoyance. Seriously, can these women shut up for a second? She began to feel her veins popping out of her temples.

"Keep calm. You're safe and protected. Go back to your sinful card playing." He said a little too seductively and Nanoha couldn't help but felt slightly disgusted. But the women were enjoying his flirty little joke and giggling like schoolgirls together. Yunno was pleased to see the ladies took in his presence well but what captured him at the moment were not them, it was a young woman with auburn hair and a slightly annoyed face.

"Hello, Nanoha." He looked at her affectionately, seductive smile still in place. He walked pass the old women gracefully and stood before her, his eyes never left hers.

"Hello Yunno." Nanoha forced a smile. One reason she didn't like being near the man was because her jaws felt terribly sore as she strained them to smile for him every time he said something that was supposed to be funny.

"My, how handsome he is." Nanoha heard a woman exclaimed. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes for Yunno was looking at her intensely.

"He's a brilliant young man. He was educated at Uminary College. He manages all my husband's business affairs." And there went her mother, praising him to high heaven. Yeah, right. She knew he was talented and smart and good-looking and was the dream man of all high-class young women. Her mother had been saying how lucky she was to have such a gentleman cared deep for and that she and her father would want nothing else than to see her as his wife someday. Nanoha shuddered as she envisioned herself being married off to Yunno Scrya. Thoughts of everyday doing the weaving stuff, smiling for him whenever he talked filled her brain. And at night- She violently shut down the chain of images her mind was creating.

"Nanoha, the ladies and I would like you to play the piano." Momoko's voice cut through her thoughts as the older woman smiled warmly at her daughter.

Sapphire eyes turned dull as she heard her mother's demand. The young woman was tempted to turn her mother down but to disobey her means no more riding in the morning and she'd be dead if she forbade her the only sanity in this house. So she complied with the request. Auburn hair shined glossily as the sunlight through the ceiling-high windows hit her sitting figure as the young woman's long slender fingers glided gracefully on the piano keyboard, playing Beethoven's famous hit: The Moonlight Sonata. All occupants of the room froze, the servants paused whatever they were doing as if they were hypnotized by the beautiful music. Suddenly, the auburn-hair beauty stopped dead. She paused for a moment as if to contemplate something then with a much faster pace, her delicate hands were on the piano again, gliding frenziedly.

"Good gracious, child." Momoko exclaimed in pure shock.

"It's band music, Mother. It's very modern. It's from America." Nanoha replied, grinning. She could feel the excitement consuming her mind, her body. Sapphire eyes glittered with joy as her fingers thumbing a little too hard on the keyboard. She felt so wild and free whenever she played this song.

* * *

><p>Fate was broken out of her dreaming state when she heard someone playing a piano. Whoever playing this was magnificent because even though Fate had no idea which song it was, she felt her heart dancing within her chest. She looked down and found she was naked from the waist down and her right thigh was freshly bandaged. Not bothering giving a thought about the state she was in, the blonde looked about and found her cloths were hanging at the back of a chair. She hastily dressed and made her way to the door. She felt a little painful when she moved but compare to her initial state, it was way better.<p>

As she turned the doorknob she realized that the door was locked from the outside. Fate cursed under her breath and moved about to find something that could help her escape. The young blonde looked out the window to find she was far high from the ground and with her injured leg, there was no way she could jump down. She turned back to face the room. There was nothing hard enough for her to break the door. Fate cursed again. If she couldn't get out of here, she would be dead by tomorrow for her attempt to murder a person, worse of all, a landlord.

Burgundy eyes landed on some spare bandages that weren't used and her mind clicked. The blonde grabbed the white strips of cloth and hurriedly wrapped her right hand with them. She kept on winding the cloth around her hand until it was thick enough and got back to the door. Using all her strength, Fate punched a hole through the wooden door to be left feeling a little numb in the knuckles. Fate thanked her sister silently. All those days practice punching Alicia and the bastard-of-a cousin made her fists stronger and harder.

The blonde stumbled downstairs, trying her best to keep as quiet as possible. Her plan was to escape the mansion without a trace just like the way she had entered it. There were only a few stairs left and Fate would be on the ground but she stopped dead. Burgundy turned blood-red as the blonde caught sight of her enemy. Though it was a blur memory to her, Fate could never forget the face of the bastard that burned her house, Yunno Scrya. She felt her blood boiling and the only thought within the blonde's mind right now was to kill.

As she hastily made her way down, claret collided with sapphire. In an instant, Fate swore she felt electricity ran through her body. The effect was so strong that she tripped and the next thing Fate knew, she was lying on her stomach, face flat on the ground. She suppressed the groan that threatened to escape her mouth as she saw Yunno Scrya approaching.

"Nanoha, stay back." The tall man commanded when he saw the auburn-hair girl stood up and walked to the direction of the dirty blonde. Nanoha gave him a cold glare but stopped anyway. After all, she didn't know what that blonde stranger could do. She might harm her if she got any closer.

"Careful, kid. Your life's worth little as it is." Yunno warned as he watched Fate struggled to get up.

"You're the bastard that burned my mother's house." Throwing him a death glare, the red-eye girl growled under her breath.

"I've burned many houses in the line of duty. Am I meant to remember yours?" The man chuckled. The girl almost got his pity.

Lightning hands reached out underneath Yunno and pulled hard at the rug he was standing on. Too stunned at the quick move, the blond man couldn't keep his balance and fell flat on the ground with a thud. He tried to get up immediately but Fate was faster. She jumped up and stepped on his neck with her right foot, pinning him down even more to the floor.

"Maybe you'll remember this." Fate hissed and spat on his face.

Yunno's man came in and hit the blonde rebel's still injured thigh with his gun barrel, making her cried out in agony. It hurt so much that the blonde couldn't stand anymore. She dropped to the floor and groaned out loud, hands hugging her thigh.

Yunno got up, his face turned purple as the blood rushed to his head. "Pistols, tomorrow at dawn." He wiped his face with a handkerchief and threw it at the writhing blonde on the floor. "Get her upstairs." He yelled. With other two men, they carried the blonde forcefully upstairs.

Nanoha was left pondering. In her entire life, she'd never met someone as brave and headstrong as the red-eye blonde. Petit pink lips curved into a small smile as the auburn-hair beauty gazed mischievously over the place the blonde rebel had been earlier before returning to the tea room with her mother and the women.

* * *

><p>Fate was pacing the room, using a chair as the cane to support her weight. Ever since the servant had hit her wound, she found it difficult for her to walk. She knew she was at her dead-end. They locked her in that same room and nailed wooden bars over the outer side of the door. And to top it off, a guard, who was snoring outside, was drafted in with a gun to make sure she would not escape. Fate sighed heavily. Maybe tonight would be the last night she spent breathing. She regretted her childish action and she prayed to her mother from heaven to forgive her.<p>

A quiet sound outside the window broke the blonde out of her miserable thoughts. Fate turned around to find a ladder was leaning on the windowsill and someone was climbing up. It was the girl with auburn hair, the daughter of the landlord.

Nanoha spared the blonde a glance before pushing the window open. She climbed in and tripped her damnable long frilly dress and landed on the floor with her butt. The girl quickly stood up and regained her composure but could not hide a blush creeping up her cheeks. She shyly stole a glance at Fate to find the blonde staring blankly right back at her.

"I'm running away." Nanoha finally broke the starring contest. She noted that whenever they met, she and the blonde always played this game. "Excuse me. There's something in here I need." She cautiously walked pass the stunned blonde and made her way to the dresser. "Perhaps you're wondering why I'm running away." Sapphire eyes still hadn't left burgundy as Nanoha reached behind the dresser and drew out a small key. She moved to the bed and knelt down, pulling out a black leather box. "Well, I'll tell you." She put the key to the keyhole and turned, the box opened. "I'm running away because I'm modern. I'm modern, and I'm going to a modern place. If I stay here, my mother will turn me into one of her stuffy old friends." The auburn-hair girl rummaged through a bunch of papers and pictures as if she was finding something to show the blonde. "No, thank you. I'm a little more interesting than that. I'm very smart, and I'm very modern. That's all you need to know about me."

Fate listened to the shorter girl's ramble half-heartedly. What the girl was saying confused her. Why would she want to run away from all this? She was the landlord's only daughter, she had a huge mansion with many servants who would serve her till she be an old lady and she had plenty of land to do God-know-what. Why would she run away from this heaven?

"Girl, here! Have a look at this." Nanoha exclaimed. She drew out a piece of paper, a yellowish flyer. "Look!"

Fate stared at the paper for a moment and slowly turned her head away. She looked down at her feet, tried her best not to feel ashamed.

"Oh…You can't read, can you? How pathetic." The auburn-hair beauty felt a great sadness swept over her heart. She felt sympathetic towards the tall blonde. Not many people in this land were well-educated like her, Nanoha realized. For once in her life, she considered herself lucky to be able to go to school.

" 'Land', it says."

"Land?" The blonde turned around and looked straight into sky-like orbs. Her face was a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

" 'Wanted: strong, healthy men and women. Every resident of the United States is entitled to 160 acres of land.'" The landlord's daughter continued to read. "They've got so much of it they give it away for free." She grinned at the blonde and stretched out the paper in front of the taller girl.

"No land is given away," Fate reached out and snatched the yellow flyer away from the shorter girl's grasp. "in any part of the world." She hissed.

"In America it is..." Nanoha threw out her chest. "and I'm going there. I'm going to have a place of my own." She said defiantly, eyes sparkling like diamonds. "And I will have horses on it, and I will raise them... and I will ride them any way I please."

"What do you need more land for? You own half of Ireland as it is!" Fate scowled at the sapphire-eye beauty. She began to feel annoyed. The girl before her was talking nonsense and plus, she was having a spasm of pain rushing through her thigh. "You took it. You people did." The blonde crumpled the paper in her palm and threw it away in anger.

"I didn't take it."

"You just live here all fancied up on rent...and broken backs."

"Girl, you said you wanted land. If that's what you want, then come with me." Nanoha walked to where the violently crumpled paper landed and unfolded it. She smoothed out the hem and put it back inside her black box. "A woman dare not travel alone yet you did." She began. "You're brave, you shoot men, you step on their necks." She turned to the blonde, eyes wide in excitement. The young woman smiled a little too kindly at the red-eye rebel. "When I saw that, I realized you could be very useful to me."

"Useful?"

"Yes! You could be my serving girl."

"Oh, I see." Came the fake-comprehensive voice after a good few minutes of silence. "I could polish your boots for you."

"They will need a polish now and then." Nanoha was taken aback by how obedient the blonde suddenly be but she chose to play along.

"And I could make you a cup of tea." The blond made an act with both her hands as if she was serving tea.

"When tea time calls for it, yes."

"I'll throw the tea in your face and I'll piss on your boots before I serve you! Get out!" Fate shouted at the other girl's face and shoved her back to the still opened window. After all the girl was a landlord's daughter, she was just like them. Fate cursed herself for ever thinking that the beauty before her was different.

"I'll pay you threepence a day."

"Get out!"

Nanoha huffed and climbed out of the window. She heard the blonde mumbling something about the duel tomorrow and how she was going to honor it. How stupid! She thought. Yunno might be boring and all but there was one thing that he could go bragging about: shooting. Yes, he'd never lost a duel in his entire life. And tomorrow, the auburn beauty was sure he would burn a hole through that naïve blonde's chest.

"Ha! You'll never win this duel with Yunno. We've all seen you handle a gun." She mocked, leaning her body against the windowsill. "Girl, I'm giving you your freedom." There was a somewhat desperation in that tone, like she was begging the blonde to change her mind. Oddly, deep down inside, she didn't want the blonde to get harm. No, she didn't want to see the blonde die tomorrow. She'd just met her and she wanted to know more about the striking stranger.

"I'm of Ireland, and I'll stay in Ireland till I die."

And now she really had enough. "That's in about five hours." The landlord's daughter shouted at the impossibly stupid blonde.

Fate said no more and slammed the window shut at the irritating beauty, earning her a startled yelp from said girl. She thought of going to lie down a bit but the images of the earlier conversation with the pretty girl and tomorrow event churned her stomach. She sat down, burgundy orbs sparkling like rubies as she looked distantly at the flickering candle, the only one in the room. Fate sighed and closed her eyes. To tell the truth, she had no idea what she would do to survive tomorrow's duel.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Yo~ It's been a really long time since our last talk, eh? Well, here's another update!

Oh and if you're ever wondering, in this story, Fate and Nanoha was about 20 at the time.

Hope you guys enjoy reading my story. And review pls.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>Far and Away<strong>

**Chapter 4**

The sound of a rooster woke her up from a restless night. Fate sat up and looked out the window. The sky was the color of gray. The air was dry and cold, typically fall in Ireland. Fate stood up and reached for her clothes, which were placed neatly on the bedside table. The clothes were fresh and clean, the servants in this house sure do their jobs well, she noted.

Fate was fastening her braces when she heard a loud noise at the door. She quickly turned around, waiting for what was coming. Voices of men shouted to each other as they took down the bars were her signal. Maybe they had come to take her. It was at dawn and the dual would begin in minutes.

Now that she had considered the auburn-haired girl's words, she regretted shooing her away. Fate leaned her head against the window and glanced down, hoping to see a beautiful goddess with sapphire eyes and rich mane of chestnut hair. _You should have taken that offer, Fate._

"Miss?"

Fate turned around to a tiny voice. A maid with shoulder-length black hair carried a silver tray inside the room. Aroma of hot toast and scrambled eggs filled up Fate's nostrils and her mouth watered. She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday and the wounds on her leg didn't make it easier. Her injured leg had gobbled most of her remain energy, leaving her dizzy and nauseous.

"Your breakfast." The maid put the tray down on the bedside table after she had put all of the furniture away. She then set a small chair before it so that Fate could sit on and have her meal.

Fate hesitated at first but then her stomach was protesting painfully and the encouraging look the maid was giving her made Fate's mind stop. The blonde quickly sat down and immediately stuffed food in her awaiting mouth. She was too hungry that she didn't think of using any of the offered forks and knifes. She reached for a toast and took a big bite into her mouth. The taste of butter and strawberry jam blended together along with the crispy bread almost made Fate want to cry. She thrust a handful of eggs into her mouth while still tried to swallow the toast, completely oblivious to a slightly disgusting look the maid was throwing at her.

After finishing her big breakfast, Fate felt as if she was alive again. The searing pain in her leg seemed to disappear somehow. She stood up, stretched her arms and felt like she could fight any man right now.

Two men came in after the maid had cleaned up the tray and left. One of them took Fate's arm and pulled her toward the door. Fate yanked her arm back and instead walked out of the room voluntarily. The men followed suit without a word. They led her downstairs, through a small gate in the back garden. They followed a path that led to the forest in silence. All the while, Fate was debating whether she should run, however, she noticed the men were armed with guns and knives, she wouldn't want to risk her life by the hands of these filthy scum. If she died in the dual, she would die standing.

The path finally led them to a clearing. Fate squinted her eyes to have a better vision as the fog had mercilessly enveloped the whole area. In a distance, there stood Yunno Scrya, the landlord Takamachi and few other men, they all dressed in suit.

"These weapons belonged to my father's father." Yunno said as Fate and the men approached him. Standing next to him was a servant in a black suit. He was carrying a black wooden box, there were two guns inside.

"His father's father was an ass." Shiro came to Fate. He said in a low voice so that no one could hear except the blonde. "I've asked to serve as your second in this barbarism." He placed a hand on Fate's shoulder and sighed heavily.

"I appreciate that, sir." Fate said.

"Choose one of those things…" The landlord pointed his thumb toward the black box.

Fate limped toward the servant with the box in hand, all the while never took her eyes off her enemy's ones. It was as if she tried to burn the blond man with her murderous stare. The red-eyed girl finally dropped her heated gaze and looked down at the finely polished guns. They were made of expensive-looking wood with silver lining for decoration. They were stunningly beautiful. She took one in her hand, admiring it silently.

"You had a good breakfast this morning, didn't you?" Shiro asked.

"It was grand, sir. Thank you."

"Good."

"Count away. Fifteen paces." One of Yunno's men called out, indicating the start.

Fate threw the man one last glare then turned around, walking away. A man began to count in the background.

"This way, child." Shiro guided Fate to the opposite side of the clearing. The fog started to thicken. "Ah, fog…My life is one long mollifying fog. The land I hold, I inherited, it manages itself with a foggy logic of its own." He began to ramble. "Child, I was up thinking about you all night long. I knew nothing of your family or their eviction. I'm sorry for their pain. I understand why you came to murder me, and I don't blame you for it at all."

"Fifteen! Turn, each man, and fire!" The servant yelled and Shiro and other men immediately got away to the side. The duel had begun.

Fate quickly turned around and was greeted with grayish white. All she could see was fog and fog, nothing more. "I can't see anything!" yelled Fate. She started to sweat bullet.

"I can." Yunno said in an amusing tone.

Fate was panicking. She involuntarily retreated. In her mind, a hundred thoughts were being processed. Right now while she was scrambling like a blind dog, the blond bastard might lurk around behind her back and could put her to her knees in any seconds. She raised her gun, aiming at nothing in hopelessness. Her hand began to shake vehemently and she cursed loudly.

Then suddenly, Fate's ears caught something, something sounded like hooves rammed down on the road and someone's yelling voice. She turned to the direction of the sounds and in the dense fog, a figure gradually made its appearance. It was an auburn-haired girl, riding a carriage.

"Girl! Girl! Come away from there!" Nanoha yelled to Fate as she wielded her horse to a slow stop.

"Nanoha, get out of the way!" Yunno shouted irritatingly.

"Assess your stupidity, girl! This is your last chance." The landlord's daughter completely ignored the blond man as she went on.

"Get away from me, woman!" Fate shouted, waving her arm angrily.

"As you wish." Nanoha hissed. She shouted and jerked the reins to put her horse into a run, leaving the foolish blonde behind.

Fate watched the girl leave while her heart was on fire. She paled as she heard Yunno cocked his gun. He was ready to shoot her and here she was, stading in the middle of the field like a wretched prey, accepting its inevitable death. Fate looked at the direction of the landlord's daughter again, biting her lip. Then she threw her gun away, running after her.

"Wait! Wait!" The blonde girl shouted as she ran after the other's girl carriage. With her long, athletic legs, she hopped up the vehicle in just one jump. She groaned slightly as her injured leg hit the hard board.

"Nanoha! Nanoha!" A Momoko Takamachi yelled desperately as she too, ran after her daughter. She ran pass her husband, who just stood there, dumbfounded. "Don't."

"Good bye, Yunno." Nanoha cried excitedly, grinning ear to ear at the confused blonde man.

"'Good-bye'?" Yunno dashed forward. He waved his arms violently at his gun men. "Don't shoot!"

"Nanoha! Come back! Nanoha!"

Momoko's voice was now only an echo to Nanoha's ears as the girl had run away for miles.

"I saved your neck. You remember that!" Nanoha said over her shoulders. She laughed merrily, completely oblivious to a slightly distress blonde. Little did she know Fate's heart was beating in her ears. The blonde wasn't sure whether she should be happy for escaping her death miraculously or be damned for following an arrogant princess who didn't even know how to tie her shoes.

The duel ended with a chain of gunfires coming from the wife of the landlord followed by her miserable cry. She'd snatched the gun from the stunned blond man and fired in the air, releasing her anguish for failing in the task of raising her daughter. It was at least what she thought.

* * *

><p>Fate begrudgingly poured tea to a porcelain cup. She was on a ship to America with her least favorite person. Turned out the landlord's daughter whose name was Nanoha had planned her escape quite carefully. She'd already bought her own ticket, booked her room and packed all the necessary things into huge suitcases which Fate assumed were filled with frilly dresses. And now, Fate was playing the servant role of the beautiful young lady who was sitting quite comfortably in her armchair, looking at the sea, waiting for her tea.<p>

"Thank you, girl."

"Don't call me 'girl'." Fate grumbled. "I have a name and it's Fate."

"Sugar."

Fate swallowed and tried to stay calm. As hard as she would accept the truth, Miss nose-always-in-the-air here saved her life and offered her a place to sleep and eat. She bent down, picked up a sugar cube with a pick and dropped it into the tea.

"Two."

Fate clenched her fists tightly. Maybe this girl saved her life but it didn't mean she had a right to order around like a queen. She sure was a princess to everyone back home, but not to Fate. She obeyed no one but her mother. The blonde put the stupid pick aside and instead used her bare fingers to handle the sugar cube. She picked it up and threw it carelessly into the auburn girl's cup of tea then brushed her hands soundly.

"You might display some gratitude considering I paid for your passage." Nanoha picked up her cup gracefully and started to stir the tea inside. "_I_ paid, let me remind you." She purposefully stressed the 'I'.

Fate rolled her eyes. She would have to put up with the princess for the rest of the journey till they set foot on America soil. And to think of that, she cursed silently. How can someone as beautiful as her be such a pain I the ass, Fate thought. Before she met the girl in person and received a stab in the leg, Fate used to yearn to see the goddess. She used to want to know more about the girl, to talk and to hear her laughters coming from those cute lips. But now, she would trade everything to stop her annoyingly boring speech about manners.

"Afternoon." A gentlemen interrupted the peaceful tea time. He looked around his thirties, tall, dark-gray hair, dressed in a classy suit. He was a fine-looking man.

"Oh, good afternoon." Nanoha smiled sweetly at the man and Fate rolled her eyes again.

"Forgive me if I'm intruding, but I wonder if you'd enjoy a gentle stroll around the deck? My name's McGuire, from Boston, Massachussets."

"Oh, you're American." Nanoha exclaimed, showing interest.

"Irish born. I went back for personal reasons."

"A stroll would be delightful, Mr. McGuire." Nanoha flashed another dashing smile at the man. She held out her hand for him to get and stood up. "Parasol." The landlord's daughter called out to Fate over her shoulders as she walked along side the stranger toward the deck.

"In my imagination, America is a wonderfully modern place. Am I right?" Nanoha chatted animatedly.

"Modern as modern can be. The people, the culture, the industry."

"What about the land?" Fate interrupted from behind, hand still carried a yellow parasol.

"I beg your pardon?" The man frowned slightly at her.

"This girl's got it in her head that they're giving land away for free." Fate flipped her head in Nanoha's direction. She was so focused on the man that she didn't notice the annoying look the redhead was throwing at her.

"That's true, Oklahoma territory. The West's opening up."

"Can't be good land." Fate shook her head, amazed.

"It's the finest in the world. Seeds flourish in it. The cattle that grow upon it are fat as elephants." The man replied proudly.

"How do you get it, Mr. McGuire? Is it there when you step off the boat?"

"Oh, no. You have to travel miles or so. When you get there, you'll have to run for the land in a race. "

"A race?" Nanoha exclaimed in surprise.

"Don't lose time in Boston. As soon as you can, purchase horses, a wagon and supplies."

"…"

"Have I upset you?" He asked as Nanoha seemed troubled.

"I didn't expect it to be so complicated."

"We're very fortunate. Any difficulty can be overcome with money." The man smiled.

"Excuse me," Nanoha turn to Fate. She took the parasol from the blonde's hand and held on to it. "I'd like to speak with Mr. McGuire alone." She looked Fate deep in the eyes, leaving no place for argument.

Fate looked at her, then the man, then her again. She tried to send a telepathic message to the chestnut-haired girl through her gaze that she did not want to leave her alone with him. She didn't trust him. But Nanoha's blue orbs were piercing her and she couldn't seem to make any excuses to stay. Those sapphire gems were a deadly weapon and Fate found it very difficult not to obey. She finally gave in and turned to walk back to their seats. Nanoha would scream if anything ever happened and she would come and punch the shit out of the man. Fate smiled to herself when she recalled the first time they met. The girl got quite a mouth and had scared Fate to death when she'd run away, screaming madly.

Nanoha's eyes followed Fate's retreating figure till she disappeared around the corner. She noted that the blonde got quite a nice bottom and long back. She never did realize that Fate looked really good in men's clothes, with her broad shoulders, her tall frame and tan skin. Then come her rich mane of golden hair. Compare to all the men she had encountered in her life, Fate'd outdone all of them. There was something so gentle about her, so safe and yet so strong and aggressive. The blonde seemed to have many faces and Nanoha yearned to peel them all off.

"Ahem."

"Oh, forgive me ." Nanoha quickly turned to the man, a sweet smile on her face. "Where were we? Ah… , I do have money…but it's in the form of spoons."

"Spoons?"

"Ancient spoons made of silver. I'd planned to sell them when I arrived in Boston."

"Well, I can recommend a couple of shops that will treat you honestly."

"Oh, I'm very much obliged to you, sir."

"Pleasure's mine."

"Thank you." Nanoha faked a giggle that she knew would get any men weak. And to her, this man was no exception.

* * *

><p>"America." Nanoha muttered. "I'm here. I've made it. I've arrived, Fate." She turned to the blonde next to her with a brilliant smile on her face as they made their way through the crowd at the Boston Harbor.<p>

Hundreds of people, men, women, even children gathered up at the gate of the port, shouting for acquaintances. Here and there, men with Italian and French accent cried their wares of hats and countries flags. Boys, screaming to customers for hotels and services, threaded their way through streams of people gushing out from the gate. It was chaotic but it was alive with excitement and promises.

"Your great friend, Mr. McGuire, has vanished." Fate said sarcastically. She stood in front of the landlord's daughter, shielding her. She'd rather let people bump into her than have them touch Nanoha. She didn't know why but she felt like it was her duty to protect the naïve girl.

"Oh! There he is. Mr. McGuire!" Nanoha called, waving excitedly. "Over here!"

"Ah, there you are." Mr. McGuire laughed from afar.

Fate tried to catch up with the auburn-haird girl as she'd already ran to the gentleman. In her rush she bumped into a boy, unintentionally knocking him flat to the ground.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Fate immediately pulled the boy up into a standing position and brushed off his jacket.

"You're strong!" The kid exclaimed. "Hey, you're Irish? I can take you to the ward boss. Need work? Need lodging? There are people who hate the Irish. You can't get nothing without the ward boss. He's the biggest man in Boston." The boy rambled in a dizzying speed. He was yelling, holding on to Fate as if she was a lifebuoy.

"Go fleece somebody else, boy." Mr. McGuire bagged in. He grabbed the boy's neck and literally throwing him away. "I know the games of these shysters. Come on, Miss Takamachi, I'll find you a suitable hotel. Cab!" He took Nanoha's suitcase and waved for a carriage.

"Thank godness for Mr. McGuire." Nanoha exclaimed. She looked at Fate expectantly, waiting for her praise. But instead, the blonde gave her a concern look.

"Take Miss Takamachi here to a decent hotel." Mr. McGuire said to the driver as he loaded Nanoha's suitcases to the back of the carriage.

Nanoha left the man to talk to the driver. She instead, turned to look at Fate, who oddly had turned quiet. "Well, you've certainly upheld your end of the bargain." She tried to sound casual for she knew it was time to say good-bye.

"Good luck, Nanoha." Fate smiled gently. She held out her hand for a farewell-handshake and the other girl took it.

"Good luck, Fate."

Again, Nanoha watched Fate walking away. Only this time, the blonde would be gone forever. It was the least possible thing for them to meet again. They were finally in America, the land of promises. A whole new world was awaiting them. They would go and build their future in their own ways. This was good-bye, and oddly, Nanoha felt a pang in her chest. An unexplainable sadness engulfed her heart and she clutched at her chest involuntarily. She was trying to deny it, deny the truth that she did not want Fate to leave. Yes, she wanted Fate to be by her side, not as a servant, but as a friend.

The landlord's daughter held her breath as Fate suddenly turned to look back. Their eyes met, briefly, and the blonde smile at her, a broken smile. And she knew. She knew what she was going to do.

As Nanoha was about to open her mouth, a deep male voice from behind her cut in.

"Hey, McGuire." Two men with scars on their faces appeared at the back of the carriage.

"Yes?" McGuire turned to the mention of his name.

"Welcome back."

Then they pulled out their guns and fired at once, piercing McGuire's chest with too bullets, sending him backward, laying motionless on the ground. Silver spoons flew out of his jacket, plastered all over the place. Men from nearby came running at the dead body. They crouched and collected all the spoons in a haste. The crowd upon hearing the gunshots, turned up side down. People gathered around to see what the fuss was about. They only saw a dead body of a man and a young woman who was screaming.

"Oh, my God! My spoons! They're taking my spoons!" Nanoha screamed. She stood there, watching the men take away her money in helplessness. "No, please, they're mine. He stole them from me."

"Nanoha!" Fate shouted as she ran toward the crowd. She pushed and bumped at people violently to make her way to the crying girl. "Nanoha?"

"Fate, Mr. McGuire stole my spoons! That dead man stole my spoons!" Nanoha cried lustily. "My bag, they're taking everything!" She screamed and pointed at the direction of a man running away with her bag.

Fate said no more and bolted toward the thief. She jumped at the man, knocking him down the road and yanked the bag back.

Suddenly, yells and shouts from afar panicked the crowd. Cops on horses galloped from the corner of the street, blowing on their whistles loudly.

"Come away, Nanoha. We have to go." Fate took Nanoha's hand and hastily pulled her to a run. They were Irish and she knew the cops wouldn't be nice at all if they caught them involved in this mess.

"I have nothing now. I have no money." Nanoha cried repeatedly. "God is punishing me, Fate. I stole those spoons from my mother the morning I ran away." She wept.

"Hey you!" Fate stopped abruptly. She reached out her hand and grabbed at the boy who bumped into her earlier, blocking his escape. "Stand still."

"I didn't do nothing!" The boy struggled violently in her grasp.

Fate tightened her hold on the boy's arms, locking his movement in a vice-like grip. "Who's this man, the ward boss?" She shouted.

* * *

><p>They headed to a grand-looking hotel at the end of the street, far away from the port. The boy led them through a lobby full of customers to a corridor at the far end. They threaded their way to a large saloon where a fighting match was in the middle of action. Men and women gathered into a circle as they stood and watched two men facing each other in a fighting position, fists in front of their faces, ready to strike.<p>

"That's him there, fighting in the fancy clothes. Mike Kelly, his name is." The boy said to Fate as they were now inside the saloon.

"Nanoha, you should stand back over there." Fate gently pushed the auburn girl back but her hand was squatted away.

"Don't shield me, Fate. It's only a boxing match."

Just when Nanoha made a step forward, the man called Mike Kelly had thrown a hook punch in the other fellow's face, bending his face to the side, blood squirted out of his nose.

"Ah!" Nanoha yelped as blood from the beaten man splattered on her face.

"What?" Mike Kelly haulted his movement and asked only to be punched back in the face. He fell onto the floor with a thud.

"Sorry, Mike." The other boxer came and helped him sit up.

"Mike isn't happy when he loses." The boy whispered to Fate. He jerked his head toward a certain auburn princess and knitted his brows.

Fate threw her companion a look that said 'Really?' and received a shrug. She shook her head and returned her attention back to the man on the floor, waiting for his wrath.

Mike Kelly raised his hand to his mouth and pulled out a tooth. His eyes widened in anger. He threw the tooth away and moved to stand. "You distracted me." He pointed at Nanoha angrily.

"You weren't concentrating." Fate took a step in front of the auburn girl, shielding her.

"A scrappy Uminary kid, huh?" Mike chuckled. Other men in the saloon took side with him, laughing out loud. "Fresh off the boat. Follow me."

"Fate-"

"Not you, kid! You just cost me part of a tooth." Mike shouted to Nanoha as she was pulling at Fate's sleeve.

"If she gets to go, then I get to go, too." The landlord's daughter snapped back.

"I am Mike Kelly!" The ward boss roared, shutting everybody, even the defiant girl. "Who is this bit of a snit anyway?"

"I'm-"

"She's my sister." Fate quickly interrupted before her annoying companion could said any more of the nonsense.

"Certainly, she's not a pain in the ass, eh?" Mike snorted and walked away.

"Sister?" Nanoha grabbed Fate's arm and yanked her toward her. "Our blood's not even the same temperature." She hissed.

"Nanoha…" Fate gently removed the other girl's hand off her arm. She put a hand on her back and walked her to the far corner of the room. "These people are my kind of people. And my kind doesn't like your kind. In fact, they hate everything about you." Fate whispered into her ears.

Nanoha turned around and saw dirty-looking people staring at her. And she didn't like the way they were looking at her. Actually, she was afraid of the lustful look the men were throwing at her, some even flashed disgusting smiles with decayed teeth.

"Now," Fate continued. "For some reason or other I'm willing to lie for you. Or we could tell them you're a rich Protestant. Might be fun."

"No, Fate." Nanoha paled. She shook her head immediately. "My sister."

"Good." Fate smiled. For the first time, she finally could shut the princess up.

"What do you call yourself, girl?" Mike sat down at his office table. He opened a silver box, took out one cigar and clamped his teeth on it, chewing lightly.

"Fate Testarossa."

"Alright, Fate. I'll go straight to work. You and your sister are quite a sight. You would bring grand money to me." He laughed as he lit his cigar. "You and the girl can begin serving customers tomorrow. I'll have a word with-"

"We don't do prostitution, Mr. Kelly." Fate said sharply.

"What?" Mike halted his movement. He looked at the blonde before him quizzically. "What else do you want to do?"

"We can scrub floor, clean horse stalls, whatever you demand but not prostitution."

"Look, kid. You think you can do all that? You're only a girl. And won't it be such a waste for a pretty thing like you to scrub floor?" The man chuckled, puffing out smoke.

"If you refused to hire us-" Fate stopped as she heard a yelp. It was from the auburn-haired girl.

"Stop it!" Nanoha yelled. She was moving around in a circle, hands clutched at her dress tightly. "Leave me alone!"

One of the men was using a long stick and kept lifting the girl's dress up. He and other men laughed and sing along together, enjoying their dirty little game.

"Excuse me, Mr. Kelly."

"No, don't! I said leave me alone!"

"I'll ask you to leave this lady alone." Fate came and snatched the stick away from the man's grasp. She threw it aside as she pushed Nanoha behind her.

"Go ahead and ask." The man growled. His eyes turned red, his face was the color of purple. Surely, no man dared to bar him from his thing, let alone a little blondie like Fate. He would have to teach the girl a lesson. He cracked his knuckles and grinned. "Come on, little girl."

Fate's red eyes swept the room. Men from the corners had gathered around them in a big circle and they didn't look very friendly. She sighed. Must she always do this to settle things, Fate thought.

"I have no wish to fight you." Fate said under her breath, looking straight into her opponent's eyes.

"She has no wish to fight m-".

The man didn't get to finish his sentence for Fate had thrown a punch right at his left cheek, sending him backward a few feet.

"No, no! She's mine. She's mine." He pushed other men, who'd bagged in for his reinforcement after the stunned hit, away . "Bitch knows how to punch, lads." Rubbing his cheek, he chuckled darkly.

The man threw a left hook, Fate dodged to the right. He threw a right hook, she dodged to the left. He struck for the front, she threw her head back, forcing out a few gasps from the audience. She kept dodging and ducking and she knew she was making him angry. But she refused to strike. She would wait till he wasted all of his strength then that would be her turn.

After a good five minutes of playing around, the man roared and charged toward her. He threw a curve hook but realized his target was no where in sight. Fate had ducked under and as fast as a lightning, she fetched a blow right at his left side, making him yelp in pain. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she continued to strike consecutively at his sides, his stomach, his chest. Blow after blow came flying at his body, pushing him to the wall.

"Get him, Fate!" Nanoha shouted. She was literally jumping up and down at every punch Fate threw. "Kill that bastard!"

Fate was now aiming for the face. She didn't give the man time to recover as she kept punching at his cheek, left and right. And to finish the match, she performed an uppercut right under his chin, lifting his body up, sending him flying across the room, banging into the barrels near one of the pillars. He laid unconscious in a mess of blood and broken barrels.

"Well, you knocked the piss out of the man who knocked the piss out of me. I'm not sure how I feel about that." Mike Kelly finally said. He walked to Fate and scrutinized her. "Dermody."

"Yes, sir?" The boy who took Fate and Nanoha in came at once.

"Time to make the rounds. We'll take this scrapper and her sister and lodge them at Molly Kay's. Grab the luggage."

"Yes, sir."

"Come."

* * *

><p>"This is it. Here we are." Mike hurriedly ran under the awning of a gray, three-story stone house as it was raining cats and dogs. "Molly!" He exclaimed and scrunched up his nose in disgust as a red-haired woman appeared at the door with a smelly dead rat in her hand, dangling from its tail.<p>

"It's as unpleasant for me as for you." Molly threw the dead thing outside, accidentally right at the landlord's daughter's feet.

Nanoha covered her mouth in time to suppress another yelp. She held her nose with her fingers and hastily walked inside.

Turned out the place was a brothel. Molly led them through a dimly lit corridor to the so-called living room with one faded couch, a dusty piano at the corner and a small fireplace. There were big ugly yellowish stains all over the wall. Decayed bars of wood were what mainly formed the house. It was unimaginably shabby and Nanoha wondered how can one live under the roof of this kind of place.

"Got two sisters here, Molly, need a room." Mike shook off his jacket and threw it to Dermody.

Molly stopped. She narrowed her tiny green eyes at the girls, took them in from head to toes. "Old evil Mike, you've got quite the gems there."

"No, Molly. They're not like you girls." Mike laughed hysterically. "They'll be working in the factory."

"Well, whatever. You're in luck. We had a suicide just this morning." The woman snorted loudly and Nanoha and Fate both frowned.

As Molly walked them upstairs through another corridor, women from other rooms in the house came to greet them. They were wearing very revealing clothes, barely covered their breasts and private areas. The look they were throwing at them was disturbingly obscene. A woman with curly blonde locks was plastered to a man at the far corner of the corridor. Her breasts were being fondled by rough hands and she kept giggling and gasping continuously. They passed another room which was open and Nanoha had to squeeze her eyes shut at the sight of a man in between a woman's legs, he was moving his hips frantically.

"Here's the bath, but don't linger in it too long. It's the only one."

Molly opened the bathroom which had one rusty bathtub, one small table, a big tin basin for washing and clothes were hanging all over the ceiling.

"This is your room here." Molly said. She walked them in a room lit only by a small window that looked to the street.

Inside, there were a small, single bed at the corner, a small brick fireplace and a wooden wardrobe at the far end of the room, opposite the bed. Rotten-looking wooden shelves lined on the wall, filthy wine bottles scattered around the floor. Black and white pictures and photo frames, along with a few books could be seen on floor-to-ceiling bookcase near the door way. At the foot of the bed was a folding partition wall, made of wood frames and tattered fabric, used for dressing. As a whole, the room didn't look too bad itself except for a leaky roof. But to a certain auburn girl, this place was hell.

"Our? You're not suggesting that we share this room, I hope." Nanoha exclaimed.

"I don't care what you do in it, as long as you pay me a dollar a week." Molly said casually, walking away.

"There must be some mistake. We need two rooms!" Nanoha inquired. She followed the woman to the corridor.

"I've only got this one."

"That's not good enough."

"The room is fine, and we'll take it gratefully." Fate finally cut in. She smiled at the woman and at the same time, pushed Nanoha back inside the room.

"Your sister was spoiled, I'd say." Molly sneered before she walked away.

Fate returned to the room and closed the door gently. She turned around to the sound of a sniffle. The auburn-haired girl's back was facing her, her shoulders were shaking slightly. Fate chose to leave the girl alone. Being the daughter of one of the richest men in Ireland, her future would be very bright. She would have whatever she wanted and would be respected by everyone, not like this. Fate felt sorry for her. The blonde was of low-birth so she could withstand any harsh conditions easily, but Nanoha was a total difference. She was a princess and didn't used to hard-working environment. She would be soon corrupted.

Fate walked to the window and looked to the sky. At this rate, it would be raining till night.

* * *

><p>"Nanoha, are you awake?" Fate asked as she stepped back from the window. Night had fallen and as expected, it was still pouring outside.<p>

"No, I'm sound as sleep." The landlord's daughter sulked on the bed.

"I think I like America."

"Do you, now?"

"Yeah." Fate bent down and poked at the fire. "We've only been here a day, look at the welcome we've got. Would you like a room? Here you go. Would you like a job? Why, here you go. Then, how about some land?" Fate regarded the day's events fondly. She turned to look at her roommate, who was lying on the bed, face to the wall. "Well, get a horse and help yourself."

"So, now you believe me about the land, do you?"

"If they're throwing it away, I wouldn't mind a piece of it." Fate laughed. She put the metal stick away then opted to spread the spare blanket out on the floor. "Maybe this is my destiny. On her deathbed, my mother told me she'd be watching me from up above. I wonder now if her spirit might be near, guiding me along." The blonde lay down. She put an arm under her head in replace for the pillow and watched the ceiling longingly.

"If she bumps into Mr. McGuire up there, tell him I want my spoons back." Nanoha scoffed, pulling the cover over her shoulders.

"Imagine me, Fate Testarossa, standing on my own plot of land. What would I plant, I wonder? Oats, corn, potatoes- Oh, God, no, not potatoes." Fate shook her head. She hated potatoes when she was at a very young age, she still does now. "Maybe wheat. Wheat. Oh, Nanoha…,I'm dreaming of it now. Great fields of wheat as far as the eye can see." She stretched her arm before her, smiling dreamily.

Then a pillow out of nowhere came hitting at her face, making her yelp in surprise.

"Oklahoma land was my idea, you blathering fool!" Nanoha sat up, yelling. She continuously hit the blonde under her with the pillow. "Maybe this is my destiny." The auburn girl said mockingly. "If it wasn't for me, farm girl, you wouldn't even be here!" She shouted at the other girl's face.

"Well, if it wasn't for me, Miss High and Mighty, you would have died in the street!" Fate spat back. She snatched the pillow away from her annoying roommate and coolly placed it under her head. _Caught a few hits to get the pillow to yourself, not bad, Fate._

Nanoha just stared at the blonde on the floor. She was speechless. What Fate just said was undeniably true. If it wasn't for her, she would have been left in the street with no money, no nothing. And God know what might have happened to her on the street with those men.

"Give me back my pillow." Nanoha called.

Fate opened her eyes. "Not a hundred years." She smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Wow! Nanoha is such a pain, right? Haha... But I still think she's cute. I'll stop here for today, tho. See you guys in next update soon. Bye-bye!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>Far and Away<strong>

0ooo0

"This book is irritating me." Shiro Takamachi said as he stood up and walked over to the bookcase. He put the book back where it belonged and turned around slightly to steal a look at his wife, who was busy sewing a shirt. After making sure her eyes were still glued to the fabric in her hands, he turned back around and pulled out a bottle of gin, which he hid behind another book, and took a quick gulp.

"Do you actually think you're fooling me, Shiro?" Momoko said without looking up at her husband. The lights in the fireplace iluminated her red hair, turning it into the color of flame.

Shiro held his breath for a few seconds as he was caught red-handed by his wife. He slowly turned around and looked at her. "Would you prefer I proclaim my independence and drink in the open?" He spoke quietly.

Momoko stopped her work and looked up at her husband, "No. I like the system we've got." She sighed, resuming her sewing.

Shiro didn't comment on as he turned to the bookcase and contemplated for the next book to read, when his wife voice rose again, catching his attention.

"How could she be so cruel? Not to send us any words." Momoko exclaimed in an angry-mixed-with-sadness tone.

Shiro looked at her silently and after a moment, he breathed out heavily. "She's in America, Momoko." He spoke softly. "She's been writing to me for sometimes now." He walked to the piano near the ceiling-high window and pulled out something inside.

"You hid these from me?" Momoko already stood up and walked to her husband. She took the wrinkled letters from his hold and sat down at the couch nearby.

"At Nanoha's request." The landlord said. His voice was laced with a bit of regret. "Read them…though they may not bring you comfort."

Momoko began to read when suddenly something crashed at the window, startled both her and Shiro. Then many rocks and fire bottles came crashing at their windows, all coming from outside. Flames began to spread over the carpeted floor, licking its way to the wall and the furnitures in the study room. Yells and shouts were emitted from the garden.

"Death to the landlord!"

"Burn the house to the ground!"

They can hear the men screaming outside as they raided the mansion. They wore bags over their heads to conceal their faces and attacked the guards with sticks and rocks and bottles.

Shiro ran to his wife, shielding her from the windows as he tried to get them out of the room but the fire was spreading fast, already engulfing the room in flames.

"Oh, the letters!" Momoko exclaimed as she slumped down on the floor to get the letters which had fallen out of her grasp the moment the window was broken. "No! My baby!" She cried hopelessly when some of them had caught fire and started to burn.

"Leave the letters, Momoko!" Shiro shouted as he roughly pulled his wife up.

They suddenly heard gunfires from afar and Shiro turned his head to look out the broken windows to see Yunno galloping from the garden on his horse, firing in the air with a pistol. The raiders panicked and ran away from the mansion.

Shiro took his wife's hands and dragged her with him toward the door but a burning pillar had crashed right in front of them, blocking their path. "Hold on to me!" He cried.

Then Yunno suddenly broke in the room. He hastily took off his coat, which was now burning from the back, and jumped over the broken pillar in his rush to the landlord and his wife.

"Yunno! We're over here!"

"Quickly, this way!" Yunno grabbed them and guided them all to the broken window, the only window that had yet been burned by the fire. Luckily, the study room was on the first floor so they jumped out and ran away from the now-in-flame mansion.

They stood from afar, watching the mansion burn like a torch in the night with Momoko's cry of anguish and fear. Fire was dancing in her eyes as tears stained her cheeks.

0ooo0

"I'm truly sorry for your lost, sir." Yunno said as he stood next to Shiro. The landlord didn't say anything as he picked up his burnt pipe, which was now as black as charcoal.

They were standing in the used-to-be study room with several men digging under the debris, trying to find whatever left that was useful. The room was now burnt down into only singed walls and broken wooden pillars. The furnitures were also burnt badly, pieces of what was left of tables, chairs and books scattered around the room in piles of ashes.

Shiro walked outside, standing in front of his front door and regarded his house. The mansion was burnt out completely, leaving only its frames. Columns of thick black smoke could be seen billowing from the recent extinguished fires. The garden was also destroyed cruelly by the hand of men, making the once beautiful villa and its sceneries look devastated.

"Does this mean we're finished? Are we impoverished now?" Shiro asked rather more to himself when he felt Yunno's presence.

"No, sir. You still have your land and your holdings." Yunno answered with an encouraging smile.

The landlord sighed and shook his head. He walked to where his wife was, who was kneeling on the ground, holding a burnt music box. It was Nanoha's. She gave it to her as a gift on her thirteenth birthday.

"This is no longer the Ireland of my birth." Momoko let out a small sob, clutching the destroyed toy to her chest. She turned when a hand squeezed her shoulder gently and looked up to see her husband's sad eyes. "Our daughter's fallen into perilous ruin, Shiro. We must go to her now." Momoko shakily rose to her feet. She grabbed her husband's hands in hers tightly.

"Nanoha?" Yunno asked upon hearing his love interest's name.

Shiro turned to the blond man. He looked at him hesitantly before sighing, "She's been in Boston these many months." He said.

Yunno looked surprised at first and then a small smile appeared on his face. He narrowed his eyes as he looked toward the grayish horizon, where little pink and orange clouds decorated the morning sky floated by lazily. "Then we shall find her there." He mumbled.

0ooo0

Fate watched in amusement as an auburn-haired beauty glared daggers at their foreman, who earlier had lightly knocked at her head with his pen for her lack of progress in plucking the chickens. The short bald man stood with his chin up as if daring her to do anything and Fate prayed to herself that Nanoha would just leave it at that. And she breathed out with relief when Nanoha begrudgingly turned back to her work, ignoring the man.

"I think the prettiest girl in this factory, one with the prettiest eyes and prettiest red hair is Fate's sister." A young man next to Fate exclaimed in his thick Irish accent. "If you don't mind me saying so." He laughed.

"You can say what you like, lad." Fate said as she dipped a cage of dead and unplucked chickens in the steaming pot. "But I warn you, that redhead has a bite that stings."

It'd been months since the day they first came to America and Fate and her unexpected companion had some how gotten used to the life in here. Of course they still hadn't come to like one another's presence but they managed to tolerate each other's antics and although Fate was the one that mostly gave into their quarrels, Nanoha also had learned to behave. Though hard, the landlord's daughter had accepted the fact that she was no longer the high and mighty princess.

Everyday, from morning till afternoon, they worked in the factory, plucking chickens, and in the evening, they ate together in their room with so much talking as throwing each other mild insults. Then they would go to sleep, with the same arrangement from the first night: Fate on the floor with a blanket and Nanoha got the bed. They somehow had sneaked a spare pillow from Molly's room and put an end to their silly fight over who should get the pillow, which Fate always lost. Then morning would come and they would repeat their activities, working hard with the same hope to save enough money to get them out of Boston.

Fate frowned as once again hey eyes had found their way back to the beautiful redhead. Nanoha had stopped working and instead had sat down on a bench nearby, wiping at her forehead. Unfortunate for her, that short foreman seemed to have taken a liking of spotting her whenever she went and Fate's frown worsened as she realized she was acting just as much the same as the disgusting man.

"Get to work!" The foreman snapped at Nanoha, pulling at her arm.

"Get your filthy hands of me, you ugly animal." Nanoha spat, yanking her arm back.

Laughters and giggles emerged from others workers and the short ugly foreman growled in anger, his face was turning red.

"That will cost you a day's wage." He snarled, feverishly writing down in his stack of papers. "Go on. Insult me again." He looked up at the red-haired girl and spat down at her feet, grinning. His teeth were of a decayed yellowish color.

Nanoha gritted her teeth. Her fists were so tight that her knuckles turned white. She was trying her best to hold back the desire to punch the man in front of her. She looked at him with menacing eyes instead and slowly drawled out the word, "Pig." And it earned her good laughters from everyone nearby.

"There goes tomorrow." The foreman wrote down on his papers again. His face was now purple. "Done?"

Nanoha was boiling and she had to look away to cool her head. She accidentally caught eyes with burgundy and saw Fate waving 'no' at her and point to her desk, mouthing her to get back to work. But Nanoha had a better idea. She pretended to walked away from her feud with the man and when he was beside himself with victory, Nanoha abruptly turned back, "Take Friday as well, you spineless little fraction of a man." She hissed.

And Fate and the factory burst into laughters.

0ooo0

"What are you looking at?" Nanoha asked with a slight irritation in her voice as the blonde next to her kept staring at her for quite a while now. Fate's stare made her blush and she didn't like it.

"I'm just trying to figure out what you're doing there." Fate said matter-of-factly as she watched the shorter girl doing her laundry.

"It's obvious what I'm doing. I'm cleaning my clothes."

"I see."

Fate's lips tugged into a smile as Nanoha continued cleaning her clothes. The redhead used her thumb and index finger to pick at the hem of a shirt and started swirling it around in the basin in slow circles. Occasionally, she stopped to dip it in the suds a few times then resumed swirling.

"Do you ever wonder why it takes you so long, Nanoha? I mean, look at my clothes," Fate gestured to her clothes hung on a rope. "Washed and hung. Done."

"Your talent astounds me, Fate." Nanoha just shrugged and smiled.

"Move over." Fate said and walked to Nanoha. "Move over." She pointed at the girl and used her authority voice. And to her surprise, Nanoha did move. "If you want to clean your clothes, you have to get your hands wet."

Nanoha stepped back behind the tall blonde and strained her neck to look over broad shoulders. _She smells of soap and fresh grass. Interesting._

"First, you place the board like so," Fate said as she put the washing board in front of her, placed its back against the edge of the basin. "You take the soap in your right hand, the clothes in the left…" Fate illustrated with her hands high in front of her so that Nanoha could see. She was too occupied with her task that she didn't noticed someone shamelessly smelling her from behind. "Then you brush the clothes across the soap twice," She rubbed the things in her hands together roughly, causing some of the droplets to splash over her chest. "Then you plunge and scrub, plunge and scrub…" Fate repeated as she literally plunged the clothes into the suds and violently scrubbed it against the washing board.

Nanoha watched the show in front of her in amusement. But rather looked at the hands that were working consecutively, she glued her eyes to Fate's face, staring in awe at her concentration, admiring her skin as some drops of sweat smeared her forehead and neck.

"…And plunge and scrub and lift." Fate kept ranting. She stopped scrubbing then opted to squeeze the clothes till it stopped dripping, then she flapped and draped it over the rope. She quickly reached behind her back and pulled out the clothespins strapped on her belt like she was drawing out two pistols and pin them on either side of the hung shirt to keep it in place. "There you go." She turned around in time to catch the auburn girl staring and she blushed.

Their afternoon ended in silence after that, with Fate busied herself scrubbing the bathtub and Nanoha cleaning her clothes. And Fate was pleased to see the princess was now doing it her way.

0ooo0

"Thirty, forty…, forty-five…"

"You could be a banker, Fate, with your ability to count." Nanoha commented behind the partition as she was dressing for bed.

"Oh, a compliment. Thank you, Nanoha." Fate laughed dryly as she dropped the coins back in a small pouch and stood up to place it inside a wooden box near the closet.

"Don't suppose you've canculated what the journey will cost." Nanoha said as she loosened the lace on her dress.

Fate sat down on the box and ran a hand in her golden mane distractedly, "If I barter I can get a buckboard for under twenty-five or so…" She picked up her foot and began to take off her sock. "It's the harness that's costly. Bit, frame-" She trailed off as she caught the dress of Nanoha pooled at her feet through the gap of the partition. Small feet were visible now that she wasn't wearing that frilly, long dress of hers and Fate willed herself to look away. "Frame, collar, reins." She mumbled.

"Oh, very impressive." Nanoha hummed.

"How much have you saved, Nanoha? Are you still praying you'll make it to the Oklahoma race?" Fate asked as her eyes once again glued to the partition and this time she saw white, creamy long leg as Nanoha braced one of hers on the frame of the bed, pulling her tight off.

"I'll get there."

"Ha. What a corker! You're a corker, Nanoha." Fate smiled. "Why don't you go back home to Ireland? Write to your parents for money. They'll forgive you for your foolishness." The blonde spoke softly as she threw her socks at the foot of the bedside table. She stood up and faced the opposite, taking off her shirt.

"America may not be exactly what I thought it would be but…if I went back to Ireland, I wouldn't-" Nanoha paused.

"What? Wouldn't what?"

"I said I'll get there and I'll get there by myself." She finally said as she took off her corset and draped it over the partition, followed next was her under dress.

"Well, you need supplies." Fate mused as she unbuckled her belt and took off her pants. She walked to the closet and took out a blanket along with a pillow.

"Of course. Food, clothes…"

"Ammunition, gun." Fate added.

"Whenever I think of guns, I remember Yunno Scrya." Nanoha mumbled as she hunched on her knees and watched through a small hole on the partition as Fate spread out the blanket. She bit her lip lightly when Fate bent over to smooth out the hem of the blanket, unintentionally showing a little of her buttocks as her underpants sagged. _Looks firm_.

"You're lucky to be rid of that piss-headed snob." Fate snorted.

"Oh, he wasn't so bad. You didn't know him as well as I did." Nanoha smiled to herself as she admired Fate's muscular shoulders through her thin undershirt and fought the urge to run her hands over the ripped, hot flesh. "Me, he adored. He worshiped me. There wasn't a puddle of mud he didn't lay his coat upon for me to walk across." Nanoha quickly rose to her height when Fate turned around. She kept a giggle in when she realized she was almost caught staring.

Fate stood still and watched through some tattered holes on the partition as the girl behind it was dressing. She caught sight of a bare back, a small waist and a swell of breast as Nanoha pulled her auburn hair out of the way. Her skin looked so pale and soft under the effect of the candle light and Fate thought she had seen a splitting image of a pink peak on that smooth-looking breast.

Fate forcefully turned her head away as she felt blood rush to her head. Her face and body felt hot all of a sudden and she rubbed her hand roughly over her face to distract herself from the aching between her legs. She panicked a little. No one had ever had an effect on her like this girl had. Only patchy images of her naked could get Fate in such desperate state and it scared her. _Calm down Fate. Think of something else._

"Are you facing east?" Nanoha suddenly spoke and she swore she saw Fate jump.

"Right, facing east." Fate quickly faced the closet and stood with her back to the partition.

"Alright. Al most ready…" Nanoha drawled as she stood on her toes to get a final look at the blonde in front of her. Fate's undershirt was cut short at the waist, revealing the tan skin of her lower back and the loose waistband of her underpants was doing Nanoha a favor. The landlord's daughter could hear her heart beat louder in her chest as she stared at Fate's round and firm butt. _I wonder what it'd feel?_

To Nanoha disappointment, Fate pulled up her pants when she felt it had dropped down too low. "Thanks be to Jesus." She mumbled to herself.

"Light." Nanoha called out grumpily and watched Fate stride to the bedside table and turn off the light. She quickly jumped in bed and pulled the cover up to her shoulders. "I'm in"

"Good night, Nanoha."

Darkness, in an instance, engulfed the room and its occupants, only the light of the moon shone through squared-glass window. Its silver light casted shadows on Fate's face as the blonde lay on her back, an arm draped across her forehead. She looked to Nanoha and as expected, the girl lay facing the wall, her back to her. Long tresses of auburn locks spread on the white pillow causing a mass contrast to the masterpiece Fate was admiring. She wanted to run her hands in her hair and breathe in its fragrance. Just the thought of it made Fate shiver with desire.

Nanoha suddenly turned around and lay on her stomach. She propped herself up on one elbow before speaking. "Fate." She called softly, staring at the blonde on the floor.

"What?" Fate looked to her right.

Nanoha looked down and bit at her lip. She looked at Fate again and gathered her courage. "Am I beautiful at all?" She whispered.

Fate slowly pushed herself up on her elbows. She stared at the girl before her, looked into sapphire pools with strange passion that even she couldn't explain. And now that she had turned back to face her, the moon lit her face and brought it to a new level of perfection. Her hair was now a darker shade of red, tossed wildly over her shoulders. Her thin and quirky dark eyebrows furrowed in slight annoyance. Her small, straight nose seemed to always point up in the air and her lips, _Oh her lips..._Full and perky, pink and soft, ready to be kissed. Fate stared at the girl in fascination. And in a moment, she thought she forgot how to breathe.

"I've never seen anything like you in all my living life." She whispered slowly.

Nanoha was surprised. She had expected Fate to purse her lips and throw insults at her. And the way Fate looked at her confused her. Was that excitement she felt? _Did she mean I am beautiful?_ Nanoha looked away immediately when she caught red eyes staring back at her intently. "Good." She huffed then turned to face the wall once again.

Fate lay back down again. The complex of the question left her wide awake. Images of Nanoha's naked skin floated in her mind, causing her to imagine inappropriate things. And the sounds of the people living upstairs didn't make it any better. Fate squeezed her eyes shut and began to pray silently in hope of distracting herself from the moans and gasps from above. But the more she tried, the more it resounded in her head. Sounds of moans, flesh colliding, bed creaked loudly at the weight it carried drove Fate crazy. She popped open her eyes and bolted up. She roughly dressed and in a blink of an eye, ran out of the room, leaving a confused auburn-haired girl on her bed.

0ooo0

"Let's have another boxing match. We need another challenger. This man has not been defeated tonight. Will anyone box him?" Dermody ranted, pointing at a man next to him who had a few bruises on his face but rather than that, he looked healthy. The boy was standing in the middle of the saloon, pulling at men to get their attention.

"I'll fight him." Fate exclaimed as she strode in. She pulled her hair up in a messy ponytail before striking at the man's face, much to everyone's surprise. The man fell to the floor as a result of an unexpected blow came right at his jaw.

"No! No, no, no, no! Fate, there's rules in this club." Dermody whined. "Toe the line and all that. You have to wait until I signal." He knelt on the floor and drew a line in the center with a white chalk. "No kicking, no biting, no gouging!" The boy cried out the rules in a shrill voice and hurriedly backed away to the side.

"Fight me here, farmer." The man who Fate'd punched earlier cried as he stood with his feet on the other side of the white line. Men from other corners of the saloon started to gather around, making a big circle around the blonde and the man.

Fate glanced around her quickly and saw people begin to bet money on their fight. She turned to looked at her opponent before her and saw the red in his face. With one final look at Dermody, Fate stepped up and stamped her foot on the line. And a blow met her face right at the front, sending her backward to the human wall behind her. The sudden punch caused Fate a slight dizziness as she struggled to rise back up. The men behind her kept pushing at her back, shoving her toward her waiting opponent. "Get away!" She yelled.

"Toe the line! Toe the line!"

They continued to scream and shove at her and as fast as a lightning, Fate swirled around and threw a punch at the man who kept pushing at her. The heavy blown broke his nose, knocking him on the floor, unconscious.

"Come on, you!" Fate's opponent yelled. He braced two of his arms on either side of his head, ready to fight.

Fate said no more as she charged in and struck his side, causing the man to grunt in pain. "Come on!" She pulled back, yelling.

The man let out a roar and plunged himself at her but Fate was too fast for him. She ducked immediately and in an instance, threw a side mock at his ribcage. The pain seemed to drive the man crazy as he blindly charged forward and missed Fate's face as she ducked her head again and punched at his stomach. This sent him backward a few feet. He staggered back, hand clutching at his belly. Fate stood her ground and waited for her opponent, a smirk on her face.

Her smirk boiled his blood as he roared and flung at her. Fate quickly dodged to the side and threw a heavy blow direct to his left side. She didn't wait for him to recover this time as she continuously hit him from side to side. And now she was aiming at his face, with blow after blow, punch after punch throwing repeatedly at his abused flesh. She cornered him with her strikes, slowly pushing him backward until he slammed his body against the bar, knocking some of the bottles down. Fate stopped her attack as her opponent slid down on the floor pathetically, lying unconscious.

"Stop! You've won, Fate. You've won!" Dermody ran to Fate, yelling, pulling her arm up in the air.

People in the room cheered for Fate. Some of them even wrapped their arms around her and picked her up but Fate somehow managed to escape the crowd.

"What a fight! I knew you had it in you the first time I set eyes on you." The ward boss, Mike, came and congratulated her. He dragged her pass the dance floor where many girls dress in skimpy dresses danced to the cheerful music. "What do you call yourself again, kid?"

"Fate. Fate Testarossa." Fate panted slightly as she stared at a particular dance girl, who kept winking and smiling at her. Fate blushed despite herself as the lavender-haired girl swayed her hips at her seductively.

"That's right. You clobbered that fella's brains out, kid. Who would have thought such a girl like you." Mike laughed as he guided Fate to sit at his poker table and started pouring her a glass of whiskey.

"Who's that, Kelly?" A voice from behind them echoed. It was a gentlemen-looking man in a black tailored suit. He wore a black expensive top hat and black pristine shoes. In his palm was a long red wooden cane with a round silver head, an eagle was engraved on its surface. "A newfangled style of fighting she's got there."

"Fate, shake hands with Mr. D'Arcy Bourke, member of the city's council." Mike smiled at the man then turned to Fate.

Fate reached out her hand and gave a vague handshake. "I'll shake your hand, Mr. Bourke, but I'm not in a friendly mood." She pulled her hand back and turned to look around. "I came here to fight. There's fight left in me yet."

"She's a lively one, Kelly. A girl so young." Mr. Bourke laughed merrily. He sat down in front of Fate and took her in intently. "Would you box an Italian if I scared one up?" He lowered his voice.

"I'll box any man you put in front of me." Was Fate's firm answer. She picked up the glass of whiskey and downed a gulf and instantly scrunched up her face.

"Mike! Mike!" Dermody voice came screeching from behind them as the boy rushed toward the poker table. "Mike!"

"Jesus Christ, Dermody! When's your voice gonna change?" Mike snapped at the panting boy, rubbing at his ear. "What is it?"

"We've got another pug."

"Then bring him on." Fate said, standing up.

"And I'll put money on you, girl." Mr. Bourke pointed his pipe at Fate. He smiled at her when the blonde turned around and raised his thumb up. "The kid's got an appetite, Kelly."

"Toe the line, lads. Fate." Dermody said, looking at Fate.

Fate looked at the man in front of her. He was tall and buff. His beard was thick and there were drops of water dripping down from it. Fate frowned at the sight. Her hands would have to touch that disgusting beard if she ever wanted to win. And so she decided that she would end the fight soon. She just needed to gather more of her strenth to each punch and the man wouldn't stand a chance. Fate stomped her foot on the line and immediately started the fight with a punch.

0ooo0

Nanoha flopped down the bed, heaving a frustrated sigh as she had gotten up to turn the light on. Apparently, Fate wasn't the only one that couldn't sleep because of the noises from upstairs. Nanoha scowled at the ceiling, mumbling curses at everyone, including her blonde roomate. Come to think of it, it was Fate who put them in this damnable brothel and every night she was cursed with all kind of disgusting sounds. It only stopped at dawn when the girls of this place finally called it a night and went to sleep.

Nanoha huffed loudly, burying her head deep into the pillow. She thought she was immune to it after many months living in this hell and in fact, at some point, she was. But tonight was different and she blamed it all to Fate. It was all because of her damn low pants, her broad shoulders, her muscular arms and her delicious butt. _Oh God, no. Did I just say 'delicious'?_

She was about to think of many other things to curse Fate when she heard loud voices down the hallway. Nanoha sat up and quickly turned the light out as the footsteps and voices were now outside her door.

"Steady now, you rogue."

The door suddenly opened wide and two people clumsily walked in.

Nanoha turned on the light immediately and got off the bed, "What happened?" She gasped.

"Help me get her to the bed." The woman with purple hair said as she carried a messy blonde inside.

"Fate, you're covered in blood. What happened to you?" Nanoha exclaimed as she held onto the blonde's arm and guided her down the bed.

"She's been prize fighting, but she'll survive." The woman said, lighting a cigarette after they had properly laid Fate down. "She had a charge of gun powder in her that needed to go off." She giggled, puffing out smokes as she talked and was oblivious to a certain person's discomfort as she was too busy looking at a knocked-out blonde.

"And who might you be?" Nanoha asked with no friendliness in her tone.

"I'm Ginga. I work at the social club."

"I did well tonight, didn't I?" Fate suddenly spoke. Her voice was slur and rasp.

"Aw, you beat 'em all." Ginga cooed as she sat down on the bed next to Fate. "But don't talk now. Get some sleep." She ran a finger across her sweaty forehead, down a jawline and rested it on her lips.

Fate mouth curled up into a smile but she was too tired that her jaws went slack and her snores finally echoed through the room.

Ginga gave the blonde one last look before standing up. "I need to talk to you." She turned to Nanoha and pulled her outside.

Nanoha grumpily walked out and closed the door not so gently behind her. She frowned when the woman before her once again pulled out another cigarette.

"You're her sister, right?" Ginga asked, lighting her cigarette.

"Uh-huh."

"What sort of a person she is? I mean beside tough and handsome as the devil?"

"Well…" Nanoha looked at the woman in a skimpy outfit and frowned when her eyes rested on a very large bosom. She wore only a red corset and left her shoulders bare. The corset was barely there to cover half of her breasts, showing a mass amount of her cream-white cleavage. "She's extremely moody." Nanoha finally said.

"Ah, I believe that." Ginga sighed dreamily, blowing out a ring of smoke. "Full of spit, isn't she? And passion…?"

Nanoha forced her eyes away from the woman's chest again to look her in the eyes. "No, not really. She's fairly dull." She tried to make it sound casual but failed miserably. _What are you talking, Nanoha? Fate isn't dull._

"Dull?" Ginga laughed. "Well, I don't know what sort of people you used to…but she's anything but dull." She slowly puffed out another ring. "And the build on her- Me and the girls got swollen eyes from gawking at her bum." She giggled again.

Nanoha tried to unclench her jaws. She didn't know she was gritting her teeth the whole time Ginga was rambling. She turned away abruptly and walked to her room. "Well, goodbye, Ginga."

"Would you tell her I-"

"Nice to meet you." Nanoha cut her off as she opened her door and stepped inside.

"Well, I just want to tell her-"

"Goodnight, Ginga." She smiled and shut the door.

"That was Ginga." Fate said softly from the bed. "She dances in the burly-cue."

"Yes, well, never mind her now" Nanoha turned around and regarded the blonde on the bed. One of her eyes had started to swell, her lip was cut and her cheeks were bruised but still, Fate had a smile on her battered face. "No, Fate, lie there, lie still." She walked quickly to the bed and pushed the blonde down as she attempted to sit up.

"Look in my boot down there." Fate whispered, pointing at her boot.

Nanoha reached for her leg and pulled the trouser leg up and saw some papers stuck at the faded boot. "Four dollards." She gasped.

"I won it." Fate grinned.

"That's more than plucking chickens in a month."

"I'll have my horse and buggy before the winter comes…" Fate sighed happily."And it won't be from plucking chickens."

"There are other ways to get to Oklahoma, Fate."

"You should have heard them, Nanoha, cheering on me." Fate mumbled. Her eyes fluttered closed. "It was grand. So grand."

Nanoha watched her roommate drifted off to sleep and frowned. The way Fate smiled happily after being beat black and blue disturbed her to no end. Surely, there were plenty ways to earn money. This was not something to be proud of. This was wrong. This money was dirty, Fate'd earned it by shedding her blood and others.

Nanoha dropped the money down onto Fate's chest and walked to the tin basin on the bedside table. She poured water from a pot in the basin and dipped a towel in the cool liquid. She sat down on the bed next to a sleeping blonde and gently wiped her blood-stained face. Nanoha mumbled curses as Fate moaned softly at the touch of the wet fabric. She ran her fingers across her forehead to clear some of her stray blonde locks and stared at her. Fate was still smiling in her sleep, her face was peaceful and Nanoha was suddenly reminded that Fate was, after all, a very young girl, barely older than her a few years. And despite all of her toughness, there was a soft look to her face that Nanoha appreciated, the look of a woman no matter how she acts, no matter what she wears.

Nanoha turned off the light and pulled the cover over Fate's shoulders. She gave her once last glance before settling herself on the floor where Fate's sleep place was. She closed her eyes and sighed. Fate needed the bed more than her right now. And for a splitting moment, she realized she'd been so unfair with Fate these many months.

0ooo0

"Would you be still for a second? Do you want to loose you ear?" Nanoha grumbled as she held a lock of blonde hair in her hand, a scissors in her other one.

"Sorry." Fate smiled sheepishly.

Nanoha said no more and resumed her work. She worked her scissors through long blonde strains, cutting them down one by one. The locks fell to the floor graciously, pooling at her feet. Nanoha looked at the blonde through the mirror placed in front of them and noted that Fate was in a good mood today. She was staring out the window in their shared room, humming a particular song Nanoha didn't recognize.

"You're in a good mood today. How rare."

"Oh, I am. Ginga will be here in a couple of minutes and I am to escort her to the church- Ow!" Fate yelped as her hair was suddenly being pulled on roughly. "What the-"

"Sorry. There was a knot in your hair." Nanoha said casually.

Fate didn't comment on and let the auburn-haired girl work on her hair. "Thanks, Nanoha. I didn't know who else to ask of this." She said after a while.

"You could always ask your friend Ginga." Nanoha's voice was laced with sarcasm but Fate seemed to not notice. She, once again, let her mind wander off some where else. "Such a pity." Nanoha mumbled distractedly as she ran her hand through blonde hair, feeling the smooth, soft golden locks slide off her fingers like streams.

"Huh? What?"

"Your hair. It's just too beautiful to cut off."

"My hair?"

Nanoha snapped out of her daze immediately and cleared her throat loudly. "I mean, it was really long. You must have taken a lot of care to grow it out that much."

"Oh no, I didn't." Fate smiled. "I never cared much about my hair. I was just too busy to get a hair cut, is all."

"But still…"

"I need it short now. It was getting in the way when I fight."

Nanoha was silent. It was now a common thing that Fate was a regular fighter at the club. Every night, she would come to the saloon and fight for money. And then in the morning, she came home battered with a bright smile and a few dollars. Fate had stopped working at the factory and spent the day at the saloon instead, drinking with the men and fooling around with the dancers. She gained popularity very fast, in fact. People in this little ward now knew of her name, of her fight, her skills and her invincibility. Nanoha had heard that no man or woman had defeated Fate. She just simply won every fight, knocked out every single person that dared challenge her.

"You're done now." Nanoha said as she ruffled blonde hair that was now short to the base of Fate's neck.

"Wow. It looks amazing!" Fate exclaimed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. "You've got talent. Who taught you?"

"My mother." Nanoha said as she put the scissors into a small tin box then stood on her toes to place it on the shelf. She turned around to watch Fate once again and couldn't stifle a laugh as the bonde still tried to fix at her hair, not used to her new style. "You look like a man."

"I hope. I've got enough of jokes on me being a woman in a fight club." Fate grinned and turned around to face her roommate. "How do I look? I mean, besides the 'I look like a man'." She laughed.

Nanoha's expression softened at the excitement in Fate's face and she,too, smiled. "You look handsome." She whispered.

Fate blushed and widened her eyes as the face of the girl before her became red. She stared in awe as said girl looked down at her feet and glued her sapphire eyes there, ignoring her. "T-Thank you." She finally said and it came out as a stammer.

"I've got shopping to do." Nanoha side-stepped and quickly walked to the door. She didn't wait for Fate's reply as she slammed the door behind her and rushed down the hall. She heaved violently once outside and chastised herself for saying inappropriate things. _Fate isn't handsome and you are not affected by her. Not at all!_

"Nanoha!"

Nanoha turned to the woman who'd just called her name and it was Millie, her workmate in the factory. "Oh, hi Millie. I'm sorry. Did you wait long?"

"Not at all. Come on." The woman called Millie laughed. She looked about her late twenty, with dark curly hair and green eyes. She laced her arm with Nanoha and together they walked downtown.

They met with a few other women later, who also worked at the factory, and together, they trolled the market, looking for things, haggling with butchers and marveling at expensive dresses hung behind the glass windows of fancy tailor shops.

"Would you look at that." Millie exclaimed, pointing at a dress.

"Oh, look at the sleeves all billowed out." Another woman mumbled in awe. She pressed her palms against the glass, drooling.

"It's from Paris, France, it says." Millie said, turning to Nanoha.

Nanoha stared at the dress, mesmerized. She too, placed her palm on the glass and traced her fingers along the embroideries on the jade-color dress. "So beautiful and modern." She whispered. This dress was far more beautiful than her regular dresses she used to wear at home in Ireland. Its sleeves were billowed out at the arms and its neck was a turtle-neck-like, decorated with white lace. It would fit her form perfectly.

"Look, Nanoha, there's your famous sister." Millie said as she pointed at the blonde who just stepped out of a shop.

"Good grief. She's bought herself another hat." Nanoha turned around snickered as she watched her fake sister tip her newly-bought hat at a couple of women walked by.

Millie and the women laughed at her words. "See you tomorrow." They tapped her shoulders lightly and waved good-bye.

Nanoha waved at them before turning around to faced Fate and she caught a briliant smile plastered on the blonde's face.

"Hello, Nanoha." Fate tipped her brown bowler hat again.

"Hello, Fate. Where is Ginga?"

"She couldn't come. Well, what do you think?" Fate said and quickly discarded Nanoha's question by prompting another at her. "Do you like it, my hat?" She grinned, tipping her hat once again.

"No, not at all." Nanoha snorted and walked away, leaving Fate standing like a fool.

"I'll get some other opinions." Fate recovered from her little shock earlier and strode along side the auburn beauty. "Hey, do you like my hat?" She called out to a seller.

"It's a fine hat! And a fine fight last night!" The man laughed, throwing Fate a fresh peach which she caught with no effort.

"Glad you like it, Connor." Fate took a bite and grinned at Nanoha. She smiled smugly when the girl rolled her eyes at her.

Fate walked with Nanoha as they strode back to their house and she couldn't help but smile broadly along the way as people throw compliments at her hat and her fight. Some people would even run to her, grab her for a hug or a handshake. She was famous. Children looked up to her, elders praised her and women stared at her hungrily every time she passed by. For once in her life, Fate felt powerful.

"You have changed, Ms. Testarossa." Nanoha suddenly turned around and said as Fate shut the door to their room.

"Improved, you mean?" Fate said as she took off her jacket and hung it on the wall. She then squatted on the floor and did some push up.

"Nope. Changed." Nanoha snorted, gesturing her hand toward the shelf. "Look at all these silly hats. You'll never get to Oklahoma. You've spent all your money."

"At the rate I'm going, they'll bring the land to me." Fate heaved on the floor, lifting her body up and down with her arms.

"You have turned into a snob." Nanoha sneered and smirked when she saw red eyes gleam dangerously at her. She sat down on the bed and was about to throw more insults at the blonde on the floor when a feminine voice from outside the window cut her off.

Fate pushed herself up on her feet and brushed off her hands. She smiled at the auburn-haired girl. "Excuse me." She got to the window and looked down at the street to see a purple-haired woman in a frilly burgundy dress, who was waving at her. "Hello, Ginga."

"Hello, Fate." Ginga giggled shyly. "I'm so sorry I couldn't make it this morning. But next time…Will I be seeing you in church next weekend? We can share a pew, me and you."

"Sounds devine and holy, Ginga." Fate dashed her best smile at Ginga. She stole a glance at the girl with sapphire eyes behind her and stiffled a laugh at her fuming face. She turned back and exchanged some sickly sweet good-bye with the purple-haired woman and finally shut the window.

"She's got an awfully large chest to be going to church." Nanoha stood up with a huff and made her way to the partition.

"Nanoha, all chests are equal in the eyes of the Lord." Fate shook her head and smiled as she took a hat in her hand and examined it.

"Oh, she goes into the confession box, she'll never come out, the little tramp she is."

"Ginga isn't a tramp, Nanoha. She's a dancer in the burly-cue." Fate turned to look at Nanoha, her red eyes flashing disapproval.

"That isn't dancing. That's kicking her knickers up." Nanoha snapped, waving her hand up for illustration. "I suspect if you asked her to, she would kicked her knickers off."

"Maybe she would." Was Fate's quiet answer.

Nanoha stopped whatever she was doing and stared at Fate intensely. "Has she?" She snarled.

"Well, let me see."

"Has she?"

"I'm trying to remember here." Fate pretended and she enjoyed the way Nanoha looked at her. It was as if she was about to pound on her and pull all of her hair out.

"Well, think hard, if there's any brain left in your head." Nanoha hissed, knocking at Fate's head. "Look at you. They're making a fool of you, the ward boss and his friends."

"They respect me."

"They do not. They don't respect you."

"Enough." Fate warned. Her eyes had become darker.

"You're money in their pockets and nothing more, Fate." Nanoha opened a drawer and pulled out a pillowcase. "You let them pickle you like a piece of pork." She kept abusing Fate's pride, completely oblivious to a shaking blonde behind her as she was too busy changing the pillowcase. "They're just using you-"

"I said that's enough!" Fate roared and charged herself at her roommate. She quickly scooped the startled girl onto her shoulder and roughly walked out of the room.

"No! Put me down, Fate!" Nanoha screamed and continuously slapped at her captor's back. She was kicking her arms and legs all over to free herself but to no avail. Fate was too strong for her.

Fate strode to the bathroom with a wailing girl in her arms and slammed the door open. She then not so gently and practically threw Nanoha into the tub, which miraculously was filled with water to the edge. Nanoha stopped screaming immediately by the sudden stunt and because water had filled her mouth and nostrils.

"Tell me, tell me you like my hat." Fate grabbed Nanoha's arm and shook.

"You're not wearing a hat." Nanoha coughed and spat out water.

"Say it! Say you like my hat."

"You're not wearing a hat!" Nanoha yelled, glaring daggers at Fate.

"Just say it!" Fate yelled back. She was puffing like a bull, her red eyes were flashing with anger. "Why can't you say it, Nanoha? Why can't you say you like my hat? Why can't you say you like my suit? I've earned it. I've done well." Fate stared into beautiful ocean pools and gritted her teeth as the girl before her was speechless. _Why can't you be proud of me?_

They fell into an oppressing silence as Fate finally turned around, her back to Nanoha, and stared at the floor. She put her blonde head in her hands, shame and guilt finally reached her. She couldn't believe what she just did. She was rough to Nanoha. Her mother didn't raise her to be rough to women. She felt ashame of herself not only by the fact that she treated Nanoha like shit but also because she was right. Everything Nanoha had said was right. And it had shot a bullet straight to her fragile pride. _They don't respect you! They're making a fool of you! They're using you! _Nanoha's words echoed through her mind, jabbing and twisting till it bled and Fate laughed dryly at herself. She was pretending to be blind. She knew all too well what the ward boss and his powerful friends were after. They would keep sucking blood out of her till one day she had no left then they would kick her out, like a rag doll, whose job was to entertain people.

Nanoha slowly stood up and made her way out of the tub, "Don't touch me, Fate!" She snapped and slapped Fate's hand away when the blonde had intended to help her out. "Why don't you go fondle that slut with the runaway tits?"

"You're jealous of me. I make more money than you and you're just jealous." Fate's anger built up again. She stood at the door way and screamed at the soaking girl who was having trouble walking back to their room.

"I can make money as fast as you can, you just watch me, asshole!" Nanoha yelled and then laughed out loud as Fate slipped on the wet floor when she was dashing toward her. She quickly slammed the door shut and locked it.

0ooo0

"Fate! Fate! Mike Kelly is looking for you." Dermody yelled as he ran pass the ladies to the living room of Molly's place.

"Molly, have you seen Nanoha?" Fate asked, walking to Molly where the woman was sitting at the piano, talking to the girls. She ignored Dermody's wailing and only looked at the older woman. "She didn't come home from work."

"Tonight's the big fight, the big fight, Fate."

Dermody kept begging and Fate needed to push his head away a few inches so that her ears could have some peaceful moment. "Molly?"

"No, I haven't seen her." Molly finally answered with slight annoyance in her voice.

"She's there." The boy quickly caught up with the adults. He grabbed Fate's arm desperately. "Nanoha is there."

"Where?"

0ooo0

Fate walked in the bustling saloon with people every where. Banners and posters and flags with the color of Ireland and Italy blurred her vision. As people had finally noticed her appearance, they yelled and screamed at her, both in joy and disgust. But there only one thing mattered to her at that moment, Nanoha. She didn't come here to fight, didn't come here to entertain anybody. She came here for Nanoha. Fate frowned when she caught the sight of a redhead in skimpy clothes walking and dancing suggestively in the burly-cue. She sprinted forward, knocking and pushing at people that were in her way.

"Nanoha, stop this!" Fate hissed as she finally stood in front of the stage. "Where's your dignity, woman?"

"Mind your business, Fate." Nanoha snarled and hastily bent down to pick coins people was throwing on the stage. "You get your brains smashed in every night. What's the difference?"

"There's a world of difference." Fate said before pulling her shirt off and climbed up the stage where Nanoha was standing. She used her shirt as a cover and wrapped it around the girl in hope to save some of her dignity.

"Come on, Testarossa. Come in there and box." Mike had appeared somewhere near the stage and yelled at Fate. Next to him was Mr. Bourke.

"I've got a hundred bet on you tonight." Bourke said urgently.

"Kiss your money good-bye, Mr. Bourke." Fate answered firmly. She pushed Nanoha behind her back and looked around to fine a way out of the club.

"I'll make it two-hundred and I'll split the winnings with you. It's two hundred dollars, Fate!" Bourke roared, pulling out money from his vest and pushed it at Fate.

"No!" Fate snapped.

"Fate!" Nanoha suddenly called from behind. "Take it." She whispered.

"Take it? I thought you didn't want me to fight?"

"But it's so much money. You've boxed for nickels before. This is a fortune!"

Then from afar, Fate heard people calling her name. She looked toward the door and saw a big, muscular man walk in. He has an Italian flag wrapped a round him and when her eyes and his met, he flexed his muscle and smirked at her.

"You'll have it. You'll have Oklahoma. You'll never have to fight for them again." Nanoha's soft and gentle voice brought the blonde to look in her eyes as she whispered. She grabbed Fate's hands in hers and squeezed. "This will get us out of here."

Fate paused and stared at the blue orbs before her, mouth agape. She suddenly felt her throat gone dry and her heart beat faster. Was she imagining things or her ears had tricked her this time? "Us?"

"Well, you…" Nanoha looked away and blushed. She slowly let go of Fate's hands. "I mean you."

Fate shifted her gaze toward her opponent and back to Nanoha. There was a strange gleam in those blue eyes that urge her to fight, to win. And all she could see was trust and, _was it love?_ The pink hue on her cheeks, the red on her lips had drowned out the noises in the crowded room. And the spark in her eyes spoke louder than words and Fate finally understood. She would fight, not for Bourke, not for Mike or even for her. She would fight for Nanoha.

Fate jumped off the stage and raised both her arms up in the air for Mike to tie a flag at her waist. She turned around to look at Nanoha one last time and smiled. She would win.

People had gathered around them into a circle. Fate stood wide-legged in front of the Italian man and noted that he was not big only, he was a head taller than her. But she stood her ground, glaring up at him with defiance.

"This is a fight to the finish, gentlemen. Side betting is allowed and a knock-out terminates a round." Dermody yelled. He crawled on the floor to draw a line.

Fate stepped on the line and immediately threw a punch at her enemy. She dodged away two punches sending at her head but was hit in the cheek at the third one. It turned out her opponent wasn't called the 'Smasher' for nothing. He hit fast and his blows were hard. Fate regained her balance and wiped the blood off her lips. She ducked under his next hit and quickly threw hers at his sides. The man gave out a little grunt and swiftly locked Fate's arm when she tried to swing it at his face. He then used his other fist to blow at her side and each punch felt like thunder through her ribcage. Fate unlocked herself by hitting his face with her free elbow, pushing him back a few feet. She caught her chance and consecutively throwing punch after punch at his face, smearing her knuckles with his blood. But he was no ordinary man. He used his arms to lock hers and used his head as a weapon to knock at hers. The unexpected blow threw Fate backward to the circle of men and some of them used this chance to kick at her sides then they threw her back to her opponent to be hit at the face one more time. Fate quickly got out of his aim and slid behind him and hit at his back. She waited for the man to turn around and performed her famous uppercut at his chin. This knocked him flat on the floor.

"Come to scratch!" A man yelled as he pulled out his pocket watch.

Fate stood and heaved violently. She watched her opponent wipe away his blood then regain his stand. She was about to charge at him when suddenly she heard someone yelp in the background. She looked toward the direction of the voice and her blood boiled as she saw Nanoha was being pushed at Bourke and the man was pulling her down onto his lap.

Fate started walking to the auburn-haired girl but was stopped by a punch to the face. The man plunged himself at her and she used her body to push him back. She flung her head up at his face and hit him square in his jaw. The man fell back into the human wall behind him. Fate didn't care if her enemy was dead or whatever as she roughly made her way toward the stage, where Nanoha was.

"Get your hands off her!" She yelled when she near Bourke. "Filthy pig!" She yanked Nanoha to her and violently pushed at him, knocking him to the floor.

"Get back to scratch! Do you want to forfeit?" Mike threw her off the stage into the awaiting hands of people. They immediately carried her over their heads back to the fight.

"Nanoha!" Fate cried as she was helpless in the hands of the men below her. She tried to kick at them but they didn't let go of her. "Nanoha!"

"Fate, no! Let go of her, please!" Nanoha sobbed, crying her throat out but her voice was drowned by the yells of men.

The men tossed her carelessly on the floor but Fate sprang up immediately. She pushed herself at them but there were too many of them she couldn't budge. They pushed her back and accidentally, her feet hit the line in the center and it gave her opponent the right to start the fight.

A heavy blow was sent at her back, jerking her up and Fate heard the sound of her bones cracking. She had yet to regain her balance when he again hit her hard in the face. She tried to punch him but her blow was now too slow and weak due to the loss of strange that he caught it easily and hit at her face continuously. Fate was forced to her knees but still tried to stand up but her enemy didn't relent. He kept hitting at her face even when she was nearly flat on the floor.

Fate's blood spilled on the floor into streams at the final hit and she lay on her stomach, jerking weakly. Far away, she heard Nanoha's piercing scream and men yelling wildly. She tried to raise herself up but her limbs felt like noodles and her eyelids were heavy as if there were two weights hung on either of them. Blood dripped into her vision and it stung. Fate finally let go and slumped on the cold floor.

0ooo0

The sounds of stray cats mewling woke her. Fate lay on the dirty floor with false food every where. She propped herself up and found that she was at the trash-dump. She groaned as she pushed herself up and tried the first few steps on shaky legs. Her face was still covered in blood and an eye of her had swollen to the point she could no longer see clearly. Her body hurt terribly especially her left side, where the Italian man had broke a few bones of her.

Fate staggered through the street and stopped dead when her remained good eye spotted a dirty-blond head. She scowled at the tall gentleman, who was surrounded by drunkards, and flinched. Put her every where in any conditions, Fate could still always recognize that face. It was Yunno Scrya, the man that burnt her house in Ireland. She involuntarily stepped back and hid behind a wall but someone grabbed at her shoulder and yanked her around.

"Have you seen a girl like that?" A policeman pointed his stick at her. He handed her an old picture.

Fate took it and used her one-eyed vision to examine. It was a picture of a girl with bright auburn locks, a pointed nose and deep, sparkling blue eyes. Fate shook her head and quickly dashed away when she heard Yunno's voice near.

"If you see her, her family is in Jefferson Court. Number Six, Jefferson Court." The policeman called after her.

Fate ran and barged inside Molly's place. Molly herself and other girls were standing in the hallway, their faces were white with fear.

"What happened to your face, Fate?" Molly asked.

Fate ignored her and accelerate the stairs toward her room. She opened the door and what first caught her eye was Nanoha. She sighed with relief as the girl looked fine with only tears staining her gorgeous face.

"Do come in, scrapper." Mike growled from where the wardrobe was, in his hand was a little tin box. He walked to the bed and poured all of its content on the mattress, coins and bills, hers and Nanoha's saving.

"That's our money. We earned it." Fate gritted her teeth. Her hands had formed into iron fists.

"There isn't a penny here that doesn't originate with me." Mike snorted and he immediately cowered back as Fate had plunged herself at him. "Hold her back!" He yelled at his men and together they hit her.

"Don't touch her!" Nanoha cried and used a woodblock to hit at Mike's back. He turned around and pushed at her, yanked it away from her.

"Get them out!" Mike and the guys flung Fate and Nanoha onto the cold stone road. "You're done, scrapper. You don't work here, box here, nothing here. Get her up! Too bad, but I saw it coming, the first time you walked in off the boat." He finished his insults by hitting at Fate in the stomach and laughed as her body slid on the ground.

Nanoha flung at Fate and sobbed. She held the blonde tightly, rubbing their foreheads together. The wind blew mercilessly around them and she felt Fate shake violently in her arms. "It's okay, Fate. I'm here." She whispered.

"Molly Kay, these two are banished. You shelter them even a night, I'll shut this whorehouse down." Mike's cold voice echoed through the empty street as he spoke to Molly. "Come on." And he left with his man, leaving Nanoha and Fate on their own.

0ooo0

"Fate, we can't keep wandering like this. It's too cold." Nanoha mumbled in her hands as she blew air into her palms to keep them warm from the blizzard. They'd been walking outside for three days without any food of drinks. All the shops and hotels slammed their door at the sight of their faces whenever they asked for help. And Nanoha wasn't surprised. They were all scared of the ward boss and his minions. He had made it clear the night he kicked them out that no place should shelter them as long as he still reined in this little crime world.

"I know." Fate wrapped her arms around Nanoha, rubbing up and down to give her some warmth.

Nanoha looked at Fate and she almost cried. Her face was paler than usual, her lips was dried to the pointed they turned purple and her teeth was banging against each other due to the cold. The only thing that seemed to not looses its spark was her eyes. They shone brightly through the night and Nanoha began to think she had gone crazy for she could feel the warmth radiated from those burgundy pools.

"Nanoha?"

"I can't, Fate. I just can't." Nanoha dropped to her knees in the middle of the sidewalk. The heavy snow covered them and drowned them out in the white of the night.

"Come on, Nanoha. Don't give up on me." Fate said as she pulled the shorter girl up but she too, was weak due to the freezing weather and lack of nutrients that she slumped down on the ground, next to Nanoha.

Nanoha rubbed her face against Fate's chest, shaking. In those three days, they tried knocking on some doors of the residents to ask of work or food and were turned down harshly. She remembered once, they were yelled in the face and were chased away by dogs just because the of owners' 'don't hire Irish' policy.

"Hang on. I think this house is empty." Fate suddenly said. She pushed and kicked at the frozen gate violently till it finally gave out. "Come on."

They broke their way inside a big mansion and just as Fate said, it was empty of people.

"Look. A tree…" Nanoha whispered when her eyes spotted a big Christmas tree with colorful ornaments and toppers. She picked up a dried pine and examine it in her palm. She suddenly was flooded with memories of her younger days, celebrating Christmas with her parents. She nearly cried at a particular memory of a seven-year-old her, excitedly tearing off the expensive wrapper of her present.

"Look! Food! There's food here."

Fate's exclamation startled her and she looked to her. Fate was stuffing her mouth with bacons and pies. Her hands were working, too, filling her pockets with fruits and bread. Nanoha ignored the blonde and stared at herself in the mirror nearby. She took off her head scarf and gloves and let her auburn locks spill over her shoulders. The moonlight shone through the many high windows, illuminating her hair, turning it into streams of gold.

"Look at us, Fate. I never thought it would turn out like this."

Fate stopped eating. She stared at Nanoha and the way her body basked in the silver lights of the moon. She looked like an angel even in her most disheveled state. "Nanoha, sit down at this beautiful table."

"No, we can't. We're buglars."

"Please…please. I want you to pretend." Fate took of her hat and walked to the large table. "I'll serve you. Tonight, I want you to dine." She pulled a chair out and gestured with her eyes.

Nanoha came and sat down at the chair Fate had pulled for her. When Fate began to spread the white napkin before her, she stopped her. "No, Fate. Don't serve me. Sit down with me." She tugged lightly at Fate's sleeve, whispering. "Let's pretend…that this hous is ours, that you…are my lover…and I am your woman." A blush dusted her cheeks and the way Fate looked at her right at the moment burnt her but she didn't care. She now knew something.

Fate had sat down beside her and was staring at her intently, waiting for her to continue.

"Fate, did you ever wonder what that land you dreamed of looked like?"

"Yes."

"Mine was a green pasture with tall grass that rolled just a little bit." Nanoha giggled.

"And mine had a stream running through it. Perhaps some trees…" Fate smiled, still locking eyes with sapphire. "Rich, dark soil and no rocks to pick out of the ground."

"Green pasture and a stream…they would compliment each other, no?"

"They would." Fate moved her face closer to feel Nanoha's warmth. She didn't realize she had been drawn to deep, deep oceans with an invisible force. "One, in fact, depends upon the other."

And Nanoha was silent. She kept staring tenderly at the blonde before her as if this was the first time they'd seen each other again after many years apart. She suddenly lifted her hand and traced the outer line of Fate's lip and was pleased that Fate didn't budge. "Pretend…that you love me…" She whispered softly.

"I'll pretend I love you."

"I'll pretend I love you, too."

Fate slowly moved her face closer to Nanoha's. They were close enough to breathe in each other's warmth. Nanoha closed her eyes at the lightest touch of lips and involuntarily jerked her head back as an alien feeling jolted through her body. She looked up at Fate and saw gentle red eyes gazing at hers and she suddenly had no fear.

Fate smoothed her palm on silky auburn locks, tucked away some of the stray ones that getting in the way. She drew in a shaky breath as the girl in front of her fluttered her eyes at the touch of her hand. _You're so beautiful. _And once again, Fate moved closer, brushing her lips upon softer ones. She held Nanoha's head in her palms and slightly pulled her in. She nipped gently and her lips then shyly licked at them and to her delight, Nanoha parted her lips.

Nanoha ran her hands in soft blonde locks, pulling lightly. She boldly thrust her tongue inside Fate's mouth and felt the warmth of the cavern. She sucked at her tongue sensually, biting playfully at the muscle. She pulled her tongue out of her mouth and slowly licked at her swollen lips, then without a warning, she bit down on Fate's bottom lip and couldn't hide a smirk as Fate groaned softly into her mouth.

A sound at the front door broke their sweet moment. Fate jerked her head back and listened intently.

"Who's there?" A deep, male voice echoed in the room, followed were the sounds of footsteps.

"Run, Nanoha." Fate cried and bolted up. She pulled Nanoha with her to the door, yanked it open and pushed the girl out. She immediately ran after Nanoha but her ears had perked up at an odd sound. Fate turned around and saw a man standing at the front door pointing his gun as them. "No! No!" She yelled, waving her arms in the air.

But it was too late, a deafening sound roared in the dark of the night and Nanoha fell to the ground. Fate ran to the fallen body and squatted on the ground. Nanoha was unconscious and Fate saw pools of blood seeped onto the ground, staining the blanket of snow red.

"Police! Get the police!"

Fate heard someone yelling from behind and she panicked. If the police found them guilty in breaking in their house, she and Nanoha would be locked in for ever. And Nanoha was hurt, she couldn't let that happen. She quickly picked the auburn beauty in her arms and ran as fast as she could away from the scene.

Fate ran and called for help in the storm, with a bleeding girl in her arms, but no one answered her pleads. She slipped on the icy road and fell and was pretty sure her knees would have some scratches but she didn't care. She looked at Nanoha and bit her lip at the face before her. Nanoha's face was now as white as the snow around them, as if all the blood had been drained out of her fragile body. Her lips were slightly agape, as gray as ash and Fate could tell the warmth was gradually leaving her. Fate bit back a sob and held her close to her, brushing her lips against her ashen cheeks. "I love you. I'm not going to let you die…" She whispered. A tear fell on Nanoha's cheek and ran down her jaw. "Even if this will tear me apart." Bracing her legs, Fate stood up shakily and began waking into the night, a direction set up in her mind.

"Is this the Christies'?" Fate yelled at the maid who opened the door for them. She quickly blocked the door with her foot when the maid attempted to shut them out.

"Nanoha!" Yunno suddenly appeared at the door. He opened his mouth and then closed it, staring at her ashen face like a man who had gone mad.

"Just let us in."

The blond man snapped out of his head at Fate's words and nodded curtly. He stepped to the side and let Fate carry Nanoha inside. "Quickly, fetch the doctor." He called out to the maid.

Fate walked inside the living room and laid Nanoha down gently on a couch. She was about to brushed some of the stray hair away from her forehead when Yunno appeared beside her and shoved her away.

"Step aside. You'll infect her with your filthy hands." He hissed harshly." What did you expect? That you could climb to her station?"

Fate was silent at the insults. She watched with baited breath when Yunno started to examine Nanoha's back. And she bit her tongue when blood seeped out from the wound into his hand.

"Gunshot!" Yunno exclaimed breathlessly. He turned his head and threw a menacing look at Fate, as if he was about to plunged at her and strangle the life out of her. "God! Look at her." He muttered under his breath as he tore her shirt open.

"Will she be alright?" Fate asked quietly, avoiding his cold green eyes.

"She will now. The wound is in the shoulder. I have to clean it." Yunno stood up and walked out of the room without any more words.

Fate trained her gaze on Nanoha as she moved to the couch. She still looked pale and her lips were still colorless but her body had become warmer thanks to the fireplace behind them. Fate blinked away the tears as she watched the beauty before her breathing heavily. She was very much asleep and Fate genuinely hoped she didn't get any nightmares. She took her hand in hers and squeezed. It was still cold but compared to a few minutes prior, this was much better.

"You're safe now, Nanoha. You're in your house." Fate wiped away a tear, her face contorted in a broken smile. "You'll be fine." And she leaned in to plant a kiss on her forehead. "I'll remember you." She would remember everything, how they met, how they managed to America, how they fought every single day and still tolerated each other for months. She would burn the memories down, how it felt when their lips brushed for the first time, how the warmth radiated from their closeness and burnt her to life. And she would remember those eyes, gazing at her so lovingly, those cheeks with rosy hues and soft, pink lips parted to smile at her.

Fate quickly stood up and walked away when she felt Yunno came in. He immediately soaked the towel with whiskey and dabbed it on the wound on Nanoha's shoulder. Nanoha let out a little grunt and Fate smiled with relief. _She would be okay. She would._

Fate slowly made her way to the entrance. She turned back and stole one last look at the sleeping girl on the couch. She looked peaceful, as if she was home, and she was indeed. Fate wouldn't blame Nanoha if she chose to forget what they had with each other. She just hoped Nanoha wouldn't erase her completely, hoped that she would keep memories of her in the back of her mind. This little adventure they had had finally come to an end and Fate wanted to tell Nanoha she treasured every single moment when they were together. _But she doesn't need to know._ Nanoha was safe, and that was enough.

"Take care of her." Fate said to Yunno and walked out of the room. She dashed for the front door and in seconds was out on the street.

"Mr. Christie, something terrible has happened!"

Fate heard the maid sobbed to the man who just got off the carriage and knew that Nanoha's parents had returned home. She quickly sneaked behind a stone pillar and watch they hurriedly walk inside.

Alone in the deserted street, Fate dragged her feet on the snow-clad road, walking toward no direction. Then she began to stride and ran and suddenly, she was racing in the storm. She ran and ran, letting the snow cut her face with its cruel coldness, letting the wind violently slap at her body, freezing her to numbness. She didn't care when her feet screamed in pain, didn't stop when her toes bled. She just realized she didn't have a care in the world, that she didn't have a reason to believe in any more. And so Fate ran, ran away from nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Hi guys, long time no see. I hope this long update will somehow make up for the long wait and this isn't the end yet. The second part will take place many months later. I'll try to finish this story fast, hopefully in one more chapter.

Thank you for taking your time reading my story. Enjoy!


	6. Chapter 6: The End

**AN: **Hi guys! So, this is the last chapter of this story. I hope you enjoy it. I had a lot of fun writing it. Thank you for reading!

P/s: See the end of chapter for more notes :)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Bye.

* * *

><p><strong>Far and Away<strong>

0ooo0

She hurried behind a big rock and pressed her palms tightly over her ears, awaited the deafening roar of the explosion. They were placing dynamite in a coal mine. Shouts and footsteps were heard hurrying out of the cave's mouth and seconds later, a massive explosion took place inside, spurting out clouds of dust and smoke. Several people, then, slowly emerged from behind rocks and trees, striding toward the cave and began collecting rocks and dumped them on some wooden wheelbarrows.

Fate dropped a heavy rock into a big pile of rubble and took off her cowboy hat to swipe her forehead clean of dripping sweats. She looked around and saw rough men jogging in every direction, hoisting rocks on their shoulders or loading the wheelbarrows onto the dump ground. It was yet another hot day in Ozark Mountain. The sun was blazing in the sky, casting vertical shadows of everything underneath it.

"Come on, boys, find yourself some cover. We got fire in the hole!" yelled the foreman.

Fate, along with other people, hurried themselves behind the wheelbarrows and waited. In the mist of shouts and running, Fate's mind drifted to another dimension, where a certain beautiful red-haired and ocean-eyed goddess awaited her, and suddenly, she was no longer at the dirty mine.

Fate was in a dimly-lit spacious room with a flicking fireplace beside her. The entire room was basked in a soft orange hue and her long shadow mended with another one; they spread lazily on the length of the deep maroon carpet. She was kneeling in front of an armchair, in front of someone and when small fingers brushed against her cheeks, she looked up. Deep blue eyes were staring tenderly at her, thick red wavy hair fanned around, framing her petite body perfectly, accentuated her eyes and her pure white nightgown.

The goddess reached out and took her hands, guiding them to her chest and Fate inhaled softly as her palms felt the loud heartbeats underneath the thin fabric. And she moved again. She led Fate's quiver hands over the tie of her gown and gave them a squeeze as if to beg for something. Fate hesitated at first but the look in her goddess' eyes told her to go on. She slowly tugged at the tie and when it became loose, she pulled apart the front of the gown, exposing bare flesh. There was no camisole or corset, there was only pale skin, rumbling with desire to be touched. She was bare to her. Nanoha was exposed to her hungry red eyes.

No longer resisting the urge, Fate leaned in and brushed her lips over her collarbones, kissing ever so lightly at her flush skin and when a soft moan emerged in the quiet room, Fate looked up. She was burning her with desire. Her lips formed into a perfect 'O' and her eyes fluttered shut. She pulled her flush against her, pressing her face hotly to her breasts and Fate began to kiss up her neck, enjoying the little spasms the girl in her arms was making.

The gown pooled at her hips, her head threw back, her mouth agape, her long dark eyelashes rested against her pink cheeks and Fate gaped hopelessly at her goddess. Fate traced her hands along the swell of her hips, up her small waist and rested her palms at the small of her back. Her skin was like velvet and Fate resisted the urge to cry. She felt fingers lightly touched her lips and she met her stare. Nanoha was smiling but it was a broken smile, a longing smile of someone whose fate was destined to be apart from the one she loved, and Fate reached up to kiss away the crystal drops that were her tears. Though she knew it was just a dream. Though she knew this was a fantasy her mind had created, Fate swore she could taste the saltiness at the tip of her tongue.

The explosion broke Fate out of her trance and she shook her head violently to rid of the images inside. This was the third time of the day her mind had been playing trick on her. As hard as she tried, Fate always found herself replaying the scene of nearly eight months ago, when she'd had her very first kiss. The lingering feeling still etched into her body and soul and she kept having dreams of her and her first love tangling up with each other. Yes, Nanoha was her first love. She loved her, she realized, and it took her a decent amount of time to finally admit the truth.

"Water?" An old man asked Fate. He was carrying a yoke with two barrels on each side.

Fate stopped swinging her hammer and brought a ladle full of water to her mouth.

"Look at that. All them wagons headed for the Oklahoma Territory." said the old man as he and Fate looked over to the dirt road, where hundreds of wagons with loads of luggage, heavily rolling on their big wheels. Men, women and children were riding or walking besides their trailers, all heading to the same direction, Oklahoma. "I'd be going with them if I were as young as you." He said.

"Doesn't interest me." Fate said before going back to her work, striking the nail with her hammer.

0ooo0

"I had a woman once, but she didn't want me 'cause I had no money," grunted a man lying opposite Fate. "I should never have come to this place."

"That's America for you. Unless you're rich, you're nobody." laughed a young man under Fate's bed.

"Forget the women, boys. You got a job of work ahead of you." said their foreman as he turned down the light hanging above their heads.

They had boarded the train and now were ready to settle for the night. In the next two days, they'd be arriving at another mine to continue their work as coolies. Fate stared blankly at the dark ceiling of the train and felt her eyelids heavy with tiredness. Some where far in the deep recesses of her mind, she heard someone singing an old Irish song, the song her mother had sung on her last breath.

Fate was standing on the lawn of her home, overlooking the sea. Her hand trailed lightly over the stone wall that lined the rent land and her humble hut. And suddenly, her eyes spotted a figure in the dense fog. "Ma, is that you?" Fate asked.

Precia turned at the voice and smiled but her smile quickly switched to a concern frown. "Oh, Fate, you look like you're not doing so well, my child." She reached out and pulled her daughter into her arms.

"I missed you, Ma." Fate wound her arms around the older woman and buried her face in her chest, sobbing softly.

"One is nothing without land, they say," Fate heard her mother's soft voice as calm fingers gently combed through her hair. And she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply her scent of burnt grass and salt. "Land is a man's own soul."

And Fate suddenly found herself standing in the middle of a wheat field. It was sprouting. The vast field was bathed in a bright yellow color, spreading to the foot of the mountain. Fate saw herself smiling as she ran her hands through the golden river that was her own crops. "I'll work on my land someday." She murmured.

"If you manage it, by God, your old Ma…will be smiling down on you from heaven above." Precia whispered in her ears. She kissed her forehead before releasing her and slowly walked away.

Fate didn't go after her mother. She stood there, at the stone wall, and watched her disappear into the fog.

A sudden jerk woke Fate from her sleep. She lifted herself on her elbows and looked around. It was already morning, and though it was still pretty early, some orange and pink had dotted here and there in the gray sky.

"Stay where you are, boys. We're just stopping for water." said someone at the upper carriage.

Upon seeing someone talking and pointing out the window, Fate glanced toward the field from her open window and saw a long line of wagons and people continuing their quest for land stretch the grassy rut.

"Look, it's the pioneers," said a man.

"They go to Oklahoma, I think, for the land," said a dark-skinned man, who was sitting up on his bed. "They're just wasting time. There ain't enough land to go around."

"Aye, they're just dreaming. Think they're gonna get some free land."

The train was moving again, shaking its occupants momentarily. Fate had now sat straight up in bed, staring at the line of people. A light tug at her heart caused her to breathe faster. Was this excitement she felt for she thought she had lost it along with her heart eight months ago. And her mind immediately swiveled to the thought of an auburn beauty. _Will she be there? She said she'd get there._ The prospect of seeing her again gave Fate a brand new motivation. Even if they could not meet, Fate would still participate in the race, for her own good.

Truth to be told, she had been doing not so well lately. She worked herself til exhaustion everyday, slept a few hours on the train with the miners and then morning came and she repeated that cycle again. It had been going on like this for eight months and the though of owning her own land had been pushed back to the deep far end of her mind until today. The smile and the words of her mother jabbed at her not so gently. She had promised her on her dead bed she would get her land someday and her mother had said she would be very proud from the heaven. But at the way things were right now, Fate was afraid her mother could never rest in peace. So, it was the time for her to readjust her life, her goals. _I will be doing this for my own._

And Fate jumped down from her bed, grabbed her things, put on her faded cowboy hat and ran to the end of the carriage.

"Hey Irish! Hey, mick, where do you think you're going?" yelled her foreman as Fate hopped off the train.

"I was on the wrong road!" Fate yelled back as she marched toward the procession, waving her hat in salute as some men poked their heads out the windows and gaped.

0ooo0

Fate walked with the people for a day and had learned that they were, mostly, poor farmers from Ireland, who were severely exploited by the landlords. They all, more or less, had the same condition as Fate's: being pushed to the end and finally break out. The people turned out to be very kind. They had shared food and water with Fate and some family had even offered her a place to sleep in their wagons. They were all kind and honest people who were only seeking a mean to raise their children.

"Look!" said a middle-aged woman, who was walking beside Fate. "Those are from the government." She pointed.

Fate looked to her left and saw large procession of men in dark blue uniform, riding on horses; they were all armed with guns and swords. Fate didn't need to be told. _The Yankees_, she thought. They were galloping ahead, holding America flags at their side and Fate took a blind guess that they were, also, heading for the race.

They walked persistently and only stopped to rest twice a day. And when Fate woke to the first ray of the day, they had finally reached the Oklahoma Territory. Here and there, people began to camp; white tents were scattered everywhere; makeshift shops with bustling sellers, bragging about their goods. Fate walked by a well-suited seller who was heatedly telling people nearby about his company's newest product. Fate peeked through the circle of people and saw a pristine well-driller.

A long line of people standing outside an office caught Fate's attention and she looked up to find a banner hung above the front door. There were letters on it but she couldn't read so she grabbed a man at the end of the line to ask for information. She found out that the wooden-walled office before them was the land office; men and women who wanted to race for land would have to resister here. Fate quickly stepped in line after she had heard from the man. Looking at the line, she sighed. It would be noon til her turn.

"Folks, each quarter section is marked. You run for land, remove the marker and drive in your own stake." said a soldier in uniform. He walked up the line; in his right hand was a white marker with black number on it and in his other hand, there were a yellow marker, which Fate assumed, was for the racers.

"The race begins tomorrow at noon." He said with finality.

As Fate had anticipated, when she got to stand in front of the registration desk, the sun had been high above their heads. An officer, also in blue uniform, asked Fate to sign her name on a parchment. He then gave her the contract and a marker, which was a forest green color.

Fate had quickly asked for a place to get a horse and was directed to a round pen. There were several horse stalls nearby but they were all empty.

"Well, you're a little late, cowboy," said the horse owner as he strode to Fate, leading beside him a gray horse. "Pickings are slim. Here's your horse, he's broke." He petted its head, smiling.

Fate's eyes suddenly spotted the only horse inside the pen; it was running wildly around, its coal-black skin shining in the sunlight. As if sensing Fate's stare, the black horse neighed loudly and began kicking its hindlegs up, in its own way of throwing threatens at the tall blonde.

"Now, that horse there-green broke," said the owner, jerking his head toward the black horse. "Know the difference?"

"Think I can see it." Fate answered without taking her eyes off the horse, who now was kicking at the fence.

"A broke horse is a dependable horse," said the owner, chewing on his tobacco. "A green broke horse, he's faster…"

"That sounds good. The faster, the better." Fate turned her head to the man, grinning.

"No telling what he'll do though. Hell, you could end up in Canada on that green broke son of a bitch. Stand back!"

They quickly got away from the fence when the black horse suddenly came running and kicking at them.

"I think I'll take the dependable horse." Fate said quietly to the owner.

"Wise choice."

After paying for the horse, Fate and her new pet walked around the campsite, watching people pitch their tents and wash their clothes. She passed by several men who were changing their horses' shoes for the race tomorrow. As she walked, something suddenly landed on her left boot, making a soft sound. Fate looked down and caught sight of a worn horseshoe; must be from the men nearby. She bent and took the metal in her hand, examined it. A familiar sensation washed over her, reminding her of the very first time she had met an angel. Then from her peripheral vision, Fate caught a glimse of brightly-burnt red hair. She quickly focus her gaze and, just a few feet away from her, there she was.

Nanoha was carrying a basket of apples. She looked strong and healthy; there was no sight of missing limbs. She walked with confident; her chin high, her nose up in the air and Fate chuckled. There was something that never changed. As if they had their own mind, Fate's feet automatically dragged her to the direction of the redhead. She didn't realize she had followed her a good few yards away from the main campsite until a frustrating voice snapped her out of her trance.

"Mother, the clothes will never come clean if you don't get your hands wet," Nanoha complained as her mother had been twisting a shirt round and round with only two fingers. She pushed her mother aside and grabbed the soap in one hand, the other with a shirt. "Here, take the soap and you plunge and scrub…"

"Plunge and scrub?" Momoko asked in disbelieve.

"Like so."

"Momoko! Momoko!" Shiro's voice called out breathlessly. He and a blond man (Fate growled when she realized who it was) were galloping toward Nanoha's camp. He hopped off his horse and ran to his terrified wife. "I'vebeen shot!"

"Shot?"

"Well, shot at, anyway…by the calvary." Despite the seriousness of the matter, Shiro was smiling ear to ear. "We crossed the starting line and we broke the law." He laughed, still short of breath.

"Shiro Takamachi, I will not have you riding tomorrow in that vulgarity of a race!" Momoko snapped, jabbing repeatedly at her husband's chest.

"The Wildwest suits me, Momoko. There's no telling what I might do." Shiro smiled brightly as he led his wife to their tent and poured themself a cup of tea.

"Nanoha!"

Fate and Nanoha both turned toward the sound to see Yunno Scrya striding to their camp with buoyant smile.

"Nanoha, I found it! Twenty miles straight west of here. It's paradise itself…" said Yunno, who couldn't content his smile. "You'll love it. The earth is dry and dirty here but where we'll live there's a winding stream…and the grass on the gentle hills grows high and rich and green…"

"It's the plot of land you've dreamed of." He added.

Nanoha looked him in the eyes and for a fleeting moment, Fate swore she saw a look of pity on the beauty's face. "Excuse me, Yunno." Nanoha said and walked pass the man without a glance back, leaving him dumbfounded. She dutifully hung a freshly-washed sheet over the hang and smoothed its surface, completely ignored him.

"Are you cross with me, Nanoha?" He asked softly, walking to her.

"Of course I am. We were doing this together, I thought."

"I couldn't take you with me today. It was too dangerous."

"I don't mind a little danger now and then." Nanoha snapped angrily.

Yunno yanked the clothes out of her hand and fixed his stare on her. "Stop this childishness. Are we not here, your parents and I, because you wanted this?"

Fate gritted her teeth painfully, wanting nothing more than to knock the man down and punch him til he saw stars but something in her held her back. She stood watching, heaving like a bull. She heard Yunno now lower his voice into whispers and she had to strain her ears to listen.

"Tomorrow we'll ride as one, together, side by side. We'll claim our land and then we'll marry…and finally settle down," said Yunno. His eyes were shimmering with hope. "You do want to settle down, don't you?"

Nanoha was deathly quiet. She averted her eyes from his gaze, looking torn. And Fate could imagine a battle raging inside that pretty head. _Don't say yes. Please don't, _Fate pleaded silently.

"Nanoha…"

"Yes, I do. I want to settle down." Nanoha finally said, attempting a smile but it soon faltered. But fortunately, Yunno didn't notice for he was too happy to hear her answer.

"There now. That's better." He said, leaning in and pecked her cheek. "I hate to see you angry. It isn't your nature to be so." And he walked away, toward the horses.

Fate shoulders sagged when she heard Nanoha's words. Maybe after all those months apart, she had finally chosen to erase Fate.

0ooo0

Nanoha continued with her work. She flapped a tablecloth hard and chastised herself for saying yes to Yunno. Yes, she did want to settle down but not with him. To be honest, he was the last person she wanted to be with. It wasn't because he was a bad guy. Yunno was, actually, a gentleman; he treated her like a princess. But he was the type of man that would want his wife to always be obedient and Nanoha truly felt sorry for him because she would never ever be obedient to anybody.

No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't imagine him in her life as her husband. The thought gave her a dreaded feeling everytime. However, whenever she imagined herself standing in front of her ranch, watching her horses, strong arms from behind would encircle her waist; arms of another blonde, who had beautiful red eyes. It took Nanoha three months after the incident to realize her true feelings: she cared for Fate, she loved her. And when the nights came, she yearned for her touch. She lost count of how many times she woke up with a start, replaying her very embarrassing and very inappropriate dreams involving her striking blonde.

Nanoha shook her head. This wasn't the time to think about her. _You have better things to take care of!_

She was hanging a pillowcase when suddenly she heard her name from behind. It was a familiar voice, soft and warm. Nanoha slowly turned around and she instantly felt weak in the knees at the sight before her. Fate stood there, few feet away, and she looked older, _wilder_. Her skin reflected a tan color that reminded Nanoha of caramel candy, sweet and shiny; her golden hair was now longer, brushing her shoulders in wavy locks; her wine eyes shined brightly under the shade of the cowboy hat; her trademark crooked grin adorned her perfect sharp jaws so that whenever she cocked her head slightly to the side, Nanoha was always reminded of the face of a Greek Goddess she used to read in her textbook; a thin mask of dust swept across her cheeks, giving her face the harden look that contrast greatly with her personalities. Her clothes were baggy and worn out; her boots were faded and stained with dirt. She was slouching on one of her long legs, a sack over her shoulder. She looked like a real cowboy, a striking one. Nanoha must admit, Fate had never looked so attractive.

"Hello, Fate." She replied. "I wondered if I'd see you here. I suspected that I might."

"That's right." Fate smiled, taking off her hat. She slowly walked to her and stopped at the appropriate distance. The basket was the only thing between them. "You look…well."

"I'm here with my family. We came by train." Nanoha looked away, busied herself with the clothes again.

"I came by train myself."

"You'll be running in the race tomorrow, I presume."

"I always said I'd get my land. I even bought a horse, a fine horse." Fate said proudly.

"Well…Time takes care of everything, doesn't it?"

Fate stared at her for a while before finally darting her gaze away. She fiddled with her hat absent-mindedly, saying, "Everything's worked out as it should have. Don't you agree?"

Nanoha found she had got lost in liquid-red eyes again as their gaze met. There, she saw it, the flicker of longing and sadness and she realized with a start that her reflection in Fate's eyes also resembled the same emotions the blonde was experiencing at the moment. She loved Fate but she couldn't show. What point in telling her of her feelings when their ways had now parted. And would Fate want to know? Would Fate accept her? She realized with dread that she was never certain of the blonde's feelings.

Suddenly remembered that she still hadn't answered Fate, Nanoha cleared her throat and looked down. She nodded slowly.

"Good luck tomorrow, Fate." Nanoha finally said, breaking the silence. She held out her hand for Fate.

"Aye, best of luck to you, Nanoha." Fate shook her hand without hesitation.

They dropped their hands and Fate turned to walk away. Nanoha returned to her work but her mind had already wandered off.

"Nanoha Takamachi!"

Nanoha jerked out of her tumor, looking at the blonde quizzically. And she saw Fate smiled, the kind of toothy smile Fate'd only showed her once, when she had said something venomous.

"You never gave up. You knew what you wanted back in Ireland. And look at you…Here you are…"

Her mouth's tugged upward into a small smile; she clenched the sheet in her hands tightly. Nanoha wanted to say something. She wanted Fate to know.

"You're a corker, Nanoha." She said, grinning at her. "What a corker you are..." And Fate put her hat back on and turned her back to her, walking away with determination.

Nanoha felt her eyes sting and her throat rasp. She watched the figure of her lover blended into the crowd of people and clutched at her chest. How many times had she watched Fate walked away? Why did it hurt everytime? And why did she always let her walk away? Those were the questions she would never had answers for, she concluded.

Nanoha quickly rubbed her eyes and felt wetness. She forcefully took a breath and exhaled slowly in order to calm her mind. Then she turned her back to the dirt road and continued with her work.

0ooo0

Fate walked back to where her horse was tied. She was feeling exceptionally excited. May it be the race tomorrow or the fact that Nanoha, too, would be joining. However, Fate didn't really care. Nanoha was here and that was enough. The hope, which had been pushed back deep inside of her, now resurfaced. Indeed, Fate was hoping that she could win Nanoha back.

"Beautiful country, isn't it?"

Fate looked up immediately and saw her worst nightmare. Yunno Scrya stepped out from a parlor and stood in the front porch with hands on either side of his waist, sneering at her. He walked down the small steps arrogantly.

"I found the perfect piece of land for Nanoha and me. Almost a picture of what she described. The land of her dreams." He smirked.

"Congratulations." Fate muttered quietly, leading her horse pass the blond man.

"Just what the hell are you doing here?" Yunno hissed. He stepped backward, blocking her path. "You bring her to me bleeding, and now you think you can talk to her?" He shoved at her shoulder roughly, pushing Fate back a few steps.

Fate was all ready to charge back at him but she noticed people around them started pointing and talking. The last thing she wanted right now was for the police to arrest them, and she knew too well that no one would touch a hair on Yunno's head because of his money, but she…She was a different story.

"Stay away from her. You hear me? There'll be a lot of confusion in the race tomorrow. Someone could get shot…" He threatened hotly before stomping away.

Fate found herself in a makeshift pub, venting her anger on the drunkards. But fortunately, they were all too drunk to even hear what she had been saying for the last two hours.

"They've got their land all picked out, the pair of them," Fate swung her glass in the air angrily. "The land of her dreams…"

She downed the last gulps of beer and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"All those months…I was trying to forget about her. I was laying down the very track that brought her here-" She suddenly tripped on the wooden bar that framed the pub and fell outside, tearing the fabric of the tent in the process.

Fate shook her head and propped up on her elbows. She quickly stood up and jumped to the side to dodge a running horse, whose owner was firing consecutive in the air, probably already drunk. After hurling curses at him, she walked back in the pub and heard laughters and snickers from the drunkards, all coming at her.

"Well, to hell with everyone!" Fate laughed along with everyone. She bent down and picked her hat up from the ground. "Tomorrow, I ride for me. Me alone…and my horse." She put on her hat and staggered out of the pub.

Fate strode to the railing where the horses were tied and stopped dead in her track. "Sweet Mary and Jesus…" That was all she could muttered at the moment as her new-purchased horse was now lay limp on the ground, very dead; its muzzle was still tied tightly to the railing.

"That was the oldest horse I ever saw in my life." said an old man, who stood not far away from Fate; in his mouth was a very dirty-looking pipe.

0ooo0

The sun was blazing in the sky, looking down smugly at the tiny humans beneath it as they hurriedly lined up their horses and wagons. Women and men rushed back and forth, loading their things onto heaving horses and creaking wagons; kids ran around the camp, helping their parents load up the goods. They were all busy packing, ready for the coming race.

Stood on the high sentry boxes were soldiers in dark blue. They were armed with heavy riffles and big binoculars. Next to them were huge cameras and men in suit, who could only be journalists; the soldiers were chatting casually with the men, some even laughed merrily. But their conversations were interrupted by the laughings from the crowd below and they quickly turned their head to the commotion.

A coal-dark horse was wrecking havoc in the middle of the field. Its rider, who was bouncing up and down on its back, was yelling in fear. She tried to pull the reins, calming the horse but to no avail. The horse suddenly raised on its hindlegs, making Fate slide on its back. She hastily grabbed on to its neck but the skin was too smooth she slipped and fell on her butt with a loud thunk.

"I sold her that horse." Her seller said, pointing at her excitingly. He then joined with the people laughing at her.

Fate quickly stood on her feet and climbed on the horse again. She tightened her hold on the reins and drawed it back roughly. The animal didn't relent; it began kicking its legs, rocking Fate up and down. But as stubborn as itself, the blonde on its back was still there, sticking to the saddle.

"The race is that way, lass."

Fate looked up abruptly at the voice and saw Yunno and Nanoha riding together. Yunno was beaming, watching her with malice but Nanoha was spotting a concern look. Had Fate was not too occupied by her horse, she would give the girl a compliment of how good she looked in that fancy blue dress. Nanoha was really impressive when she was riding a horse.

Yunno strode on his horse toward Fate and deliberately flapped his marker in the animal's vision. Startled, the horse jerked its head violently out of Fate's grasp and rose on its fore legs. Fate fell again and was dragged a few feet away as one of her legs was tangled with the reins.

"Forget your horse, kid…and find yourself a donkey." said Yunno as he laughed along with the men. Then he galloped to the line, leaving behind a very angry Fate.

"Fate." Nanoha called as she passed by. "Take him by the bit." She looked at her for a moment longer before taking off to Yunno's.

Fate grabbed the reins. She looked over to the front line where people were now waiting in anticipation. The air was very still as well as men and horses. They were waiting with baited breath, eyes straining ahead. Fate suddenly heard a gunshot coming from the line of soldiers. She looked about but couldn't see anything.

"Jesus, they shot the man." A man whispered in fear.

"He was running ahead of time. He broke the law." said a woman.

Fate gulped. This race was truly deadly and the soldiers, indeed, didn't joke about shooting people.

The kids at the back suddenly all pointing toward the sentry and Fate looked to their hands' direction. The chief's right arm was up in the air; he was looking down at his pocket watch, waiting. And suddenly, he yelled.

"Fire!"

The canon fired, jerking the horses at the line and after a few seconds stunned, they all charged forward. Men and women were howling in excitement as they kicked at their horses. And very quickly, the field was now dotted with black, white and brown as horses, men and heavy wagons invaded the unclaimed land ahead.

Fate tightened her hands on the reins of her horse, jerking its head down to look her in the eyes. "I have no wish to fight you." She muttered before throwing a hard punch at its head.

The horse whined in pain and finally submitted. Fate hurried on its back and kicked her boots at its sides. The animal let out an impressive neigh and ran headfirst into the open field.

"Woah!" Fate yelped and immediately held on to her horse's neck.

The black monster galloped its way through men and wagons, passing them with ease. The rushing wind slapped at Fate's face, throwing her hat away. Blonde hair was pulled back, shining brightly in the sun. Fate looked around her; a carriage was flipped upside down due to a hidden rock on the ground, its owner hurried to his goods, swearing loudly; here and there, some horses fell on their legs, throwing the people on their backs a few feet ahead. They landed on the ground hard but seemed to be okay as they stood up quickly and claimed the saddles again.

Fate urged her horse to go faster with her boots. She yelled loudly, slapping the reins at the aninmal repeatedly. The unruly horse turned out to be the fastest horse. It passed every other horses on its way and still, showed no sign of fatigue. Fate had started last but now, she was in the top first.

She ran passed the green field where people had claimed their land and now began to settle their things. A gunfire was suddenly heard from behind her and she turned to see men from a distance away shooting at each other for the claim of land. And Fate remembered Yunno's words. People could kill for land. She suddered and looked around, trying desperately to find a red-haired girl. On her path, Fate saw men and women everywhere were now unpacking their supplies, building their own tents on their new-claimed land. But she couldn't stop. She must find her. She must.

And there she was. Rich red hair flowing impressively in the wind; sky-like blue dress fluttered at her sides. She had her horse jumped over a pool of falling barrels and landed graciously on the ground. She was truly magnificent. She was Artemis herself.

Fate watched her and Yunno galloping separately from other people to a different direction. Without hesitation, she wheeled her horse to follow them.

0ooo0

"There it is. Come on!" Yunno called to her.

They were standing on a cliff over looking a stream below. The scenery was beautiful, very impressive with high, thick trees on either sides of the stream. The clear, fresh water made Nanoha wish she had bring a swim suit with her; she could even see fish from high up here.

Yunno urged his horse forward. He slid down the precipice of the cliff, small trees and bush held him back but his horse finally broke through and jumped into the stream.

"Come on, Nanoha!" yelled Yunno as he looked up at her. He then ran up ahead.

Nanoha didn't need to be told twice. She urged her horse, steadying her horse down the steep slope. But on her way down, a branch of a bush had stuck to her dress and as her horse made its final jump in the stream, Nanoha was jerked back. She fell off her horse into the water. "Yunno! Wait!" She yelled before slipping again.

Yunno turned to look at her. Instead of coming to her for help, he just stood there." Get up, Nanoha! Get up!" He roared impatiently. "Grab the reins!"

Nanoha was still struggle with her wet dress. She cursed loudly at the dress as it was now heavy and stuck to her legs, making it difficult to stand. Suddenly, she heard someone coming down from the cliff. Nanoha looked up and couldn't believe in her eyes. It was Fate.

"Are you alright, Nanoha?" asked Fate as she bent down and held out her hand. She pulled her up from her mess; hand held tight to hers.

Nanoha had almost cried the moment she saw the blonde but held back in time. They stood, looking at each other for a while before jerking their heads to the sound of Yunno galloping toward them. He looked murderous. His face was now purple and Nanoha could see the veins on his forehead.

Nanoha grabbed Fate's arm to bring her attention to her. "Go, Fate. Go! Ride! Go get your land." She whispered urgently.

Fate was hesitant at first but Nanoha had slapped at her horse and she finally rode away, heading straight to Yunno. The two of them were riding with fearful speed; eyes glimmered with murder for each other. Nanoha gasped when she saw Yunno pulled out a gun from his jacket and as he galloping to Fate, he aimed at her.

Gunshot filled her ears and she cried out but to her relief, Fate had grabbed the man's wrist and pulled it up in the air. Yunno was now firing in the sky, struggling to break loose from Fate's grasp. They were playing the tug of war, with the prize was the gun.

Finally, Fate yanked the gun away from Yunno's hand and at the same time, threw a punch in his face. She kicked him in the stomach, knocking him off his horse. "You're not in Ireland anymore, you arrogant bastard!" She snapped at him.

Nanoha watched as Fate chanced one last glance in her way before riding off on her horse. Fate had gone. She'd gone to claim her land, her dream. Then what about her? What was her dream? What was the thing that she'd always wanted? _I want you._ And Nanoha laughed. She touched her face and realized that she had been crying. She wiped the tears away quickly and climbed on her horse.

"Damn it, Nanoha! Do you want your land or do you not?" Nanoha heard Yunno cursing, moving back to his wandering horse. His perfectly-combed hair was now slick and matted with water, sticking to his head like a second skin.

Nanoha didn't wait for Yunno. She ran passed him and followed Fate's track. She got off the stream onto the ground and galloped toward the open green field ahead. She could now see Fate. The blonde jumped of her horse and landed right at the white marker that numbered the piece of land. She plucked it from the ground and threw it away.

"This land is mine! Mine by destiny!" Fate cried, holding her own marker up in the air.

Nanoha slowed her horse and smiled at Fate. Her ears deterred another horse coming but she didn't care. She was happy, for Fate, for herself. Now that she knew what she wanted, she would tell Fate, tell her that she wanted to live with her.

But Fate's smile quickly disappeared and slowly, she dropped her hand to her side, staring sadly at Nanoha.

"What are you doing, Fate? Go ahead. Claim your land!"

"Nanoha!" yelled Yunno angrily. "Claim it!" He stared hard at her but she just shook her head. "If you don't…" Yunno muttered and then wheeled his horse around, charging at Fate.

Nanoha watched in horror as Fate bolted toward a fuming horse. She jumped up and grabbed at the man, pulling him off his horse. Upon having two weights at one side, the horse lost its balance and fell on its side. Yunno was lucky as he fell off on the opposite side of the horse but Fate wasn't. The animal crushed her beneath its weight as it rolled over to stand up. Fate's head hit a hidden rock and Nanoha screamed as she saw red.

"Oh my God! Fate, no!" She rushed to her but Yunno held her back.

"Don't touch her, Nanoha!"

"Get away!"

"Listen-"

And she slapped him hard across the face.

"Leave, Yunno!" Nanoha said before coming to see Fate. She sat next to her lying form, tore off the hem of her dress and dabbed it at the back of her blonde's head. The color was drenched from her face when she saw massive blood on the cloth. "Oh God! Fate, look at me! Please, look at me…"

"Nanoha…" She looked up and saw Yunno standing above. "Don't do this." He shook his head.

She glared at him one last time and turned her attention back to Fate. She'd made her point very clear when she told him to leave.

"You've made your choice." Yunno snarled and then threw the marker at her feet. He got to his horse, climbed up and rode away, leaving the two of them alone.

"Nanoha…" Fate called weakly. Her pupils dilated in fear.

"I'm here, Fate. Look at me…"

"I feel myself dying, Nanoha…"

"No, you stay looking at my eyes. Look at my eyes, Fate. You're not dying Fate. Look! You've got your land!"

"But all the land in the world means nothing to me without you…" Fate shook her head. "I tried to prove myself to you, but I know nothing of books, alphabets…or sun…or moon-"

"All I know is that Fate loves Nanoha. Very much. That's all that matters to me…" she continued in a shaking voice.

Nanoha felt her tears leaking; the drops fell on Fate's shirt. She caressed her face, smoothed her palms over her hair repeatedly. She was suddenly speechless. She was,somehow, had been aware of Fate's feelings for her but pride and fear stopped her from asking. She had been doubting herself if she really wanted Fate that way. And when she watched Fate fell on the floor, in a pool of blood, she had understood. She had known why her heart had constricted painfully when they threw Fate out on the street or how when Fate had kissed her, her heart started beating faster. And all those months, she had tried to forget her, telling herself that it would never worked. But her heart had betrayed her again when she saw Fate at the race.

Fate's soft intake of air brought her back to the reality. She looked down and saw red eyes were dilating again and this time, they were moving much faster. "Fate?"

"I'm so tired, Nanoha. I think I'm going to close my eyes for a bit."

Nanoha instantly panicked. She held her face in her palms, "No, stay with me! Don't fall asleep, Fate."

"Just for a bit…"

"No! You can't sleep! I won't allow-…Fate, please…"

But Fate closed her eyes and stayed like that. Her breathing was now so low that Nanoha could no longer hear it. She shook Fate's shoulders; she called her name; she stroked her cheeks; she pulled at her shirt but Fate kept quiet all the while. Nanoha felt her tears again.

"No! Fate, no! You can't do this to me!" Nanoha burried her face in Fate's chest and sobbed, wetting her front. "Don't leave me…Please, God in heavens, please…"

"This is our dreams. I don't want this without you…I loved you…" She kept crying. "I loved you from the first time I saw you…"

"I often wondered about that."

"Fate!" Nanoha looked up from Fate's chest. "But…but you died. You died."

"You could be sure I won't be dying twice." Fate smiled as she gently stroked her tear-stained face.

Nanoha jumped her, kissing her head, her face and stopped at her lips. She kissed Fate sensually, using her tongue to massage Fate's. She felt her blonde wound her arm around her back and pulled her down. Fate tucked a lock of red hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek and Nanoha lowered her head, whispering, "I love you."

"I love you." Fate whispered back and captured her lips once again.

They only broke their kiss when they heard shouts and howls from afar. Nanoha sat up and saw men riding on horses coming toward them. She turned to look at her lover and saw Fate had already grabbed the marker. She, too, took hold of it and together, they drove the stake to the ground, sealing their fate.

**The End**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Ahhh, do you like it? I hope you do. Oh, I know what you would be saying. ('What? No smut? Lame.' Something like that, eh?) But I think I'll stop here and let your imagination run wild haha. (But maybe I'll write a smut scene but it will be in the Epilogue, or maybe not hehe)

Anyway, I was thinking of starting a new story featuring NanoFate and of course, continuing YM&V, too. So, hang in there folks. I have things in store for you.

Thank you for your support! Love you guys~

P/s: I didn't check for grammars and typos at all. So sorry!


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